


The City is Mine

by dangerkittyn



Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modernish Setting, M/M, Multi, Murder Mystery, OT3, a friends to lovers fan meets idol coffee shop murder mystery au, slightly sci fi by a little tiny bit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-25
Updated: 2017-10-25
Packaged: 2018-12-19 15:51:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 68,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11901012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dangerkittyn/pseuds/dangerkittyn
Summary: Hongbin and Ravi had moved to the city with big dreams. Two best friends ready to take on the world. What they found was a life that waited for no man. They barely scrape by each month and every day it feels like their dreams only grow farther away.A few seemingly random meetings with a popular star of musical theatre by the name of Jung Leo lead them into a tangled web of problems. Lust, regret, confusion, and a police murder investigation are only a few to name.With success just within reach, how far will they be willing to go to achieve their dreams? With hands already full, what would they let go of to take what they want?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a cross post of a fic that I completed a couple of years ago. I just figured I'd finally get it uploaded onto this account too.

Hongbin peeked an eye open as he heard the bedroom door swish shut. The readout on the wall overlay announced that it was 4 in the morning, and that was too ungodly a time to be awake. He tucked himself back under the covers and shifted onto his side facing away from the middle as he felt the bed dip under the added weight of his roommate. All the two best friends had been able to afford when moving to the city had been a cramped little one bedroom space. Originally they’d had an agreement that they’d shift on a monthly basis, one could take the bed while the other made due with the pull out couch.

 

That had lasted for about 3 months until one unfortunate night doing a bar crawl had led to them passing out together on the bed. It was a little hazy but they were pretty sure that whoever had been carrying the other had just checked out the moment they’d gotten to the mattress. After that though, they just couldn’t find a reason not to continue sharing the bed. It was more comfortable for both of them as the pull out had the odd spring that enjoyed jabbing into an unsuspecting back in the middle of the night. Their place was too small to bring someone back to anyhow, so it wasn’t like they were going to be needing the privacy.

 

A soft snuffling came from over his shoulder and he was pretty sure Ravi was seconds away from conking out. A firm arm wrapped around his waist and he could feel his roommate’s body snuggle up against his back, Ravi’s soft blue hair tickled against the back of his neck. That had taken a little more getting used to. His friend had claimed that he needed to hug something to sleep and the bed didn’t have enough room for the two of them and a pillow for him to cling to so most nights it ended up that Hongbin became the stand in stuffed animal. Not that he particularly minded. They’d been close since they were kids, when Ravi still went by Wonsik and it hadn’t been weird for them to be found huddled under the covers talking about anything that came to mind. Mostly it had been about how they were going to make it to the city and strike it big. Ravi with his rapping and Hongbin with his photography.

 

Their dingy apartment begged to differ with their dreams.

 

Maybe the dreams had just faded into realities. Reality being that Hongbin took most of his photos working at the licensing center. Snapping angry looking people for their driver’s licenses and official IDs, and using the weekends to try and create his first pictorial of the faceless city. Reality being that Ravi worked two part time jobs, one at a convenience store and the other serving as a barista at a local cafe during the day only to spend most nights haunting underground rap battles and waiting for his chance.

 

Reality was that they both had to get up in 3 hours and Ravi would spend the 2 hour break he got between jobs curled up in the back room of his 1st part time job snoring away. Reality was that Hongbin had accidentally cracked the casing for one of his zoom lenses by being an idiot and hanging off the side of a building with one arm to snap a shot of the stream of heads flooding out of a subway exit. He definitely didn’t have the money to replace it right away, so that would be another couple of months to put his project on hold.

 

Some nights he envied Ravi’s ability to just drop off the side of the living like a stone into water. It would be nice to not worry sometimes and just sleep, but night time was when he got most of his thinking done. He still had some extra funds from his last birthday, but that was really better saved for actual emergencies. Maybe he could get lucky and find a freelance job, it was getting on toward Christmas time and the department stores would be looking for a photographer to do Holiday shots.

 

The forehead nestled against his back nuzzled at the base of his neck and Hongbin had to bite back a giggle. Who told this idiot his hair could be so fluffy? It tickled. “Alright, alright, I’m going to sleep.” He spoke to no one at all, Ravi was long gone into dreamland already. Telling himself to turn off his brain, Hongbin glared once at the wall read out that had changed to read 4:35 am before shutting his eyes. How dare time move so fast. Only 2 and a half hours before he had to try and struggle out of bed with a barnacle attached to him.

 

It felt like as soon as he shut his eyes the morning alarm started blaring. The only telling sign of the passage of time was the sunlight filtering in softly through the slats of their blinds and the virtual clock projected on the wall announcing it was 7 in the morning. Instinctually, Ravi curled closer to Hongbin to try and block out the shrill alarm, burying his cheek against Hongbin’s firm back and pulling him closer with his arm. “Dunwanna…” he mumbled into the fabric of Hongbin’s tanktop even as the other man struggled to try and free himself from the twist of sheets and Ravi’s limbs.

 

A familiar battle for one who’d seen the many stages of ‘waking Kim Wonsik’ before, Hongbin systematically disentangled from his friend. First the arm around around his waist, he had to peel it back by the fingers. By the time he’d completed that, Ravi had counteracted with hooking his chin over Hongbin’s shoulder. It was like some strange ballet, as Hongbin had to simultaneously keep hold of Ravi’s hand (or else it would re-attach itself to him) and also try and squirm and shrug out of the lock he was in with the chin. Undignified and ungraceful, he eventually shimmied his way out of the bed and retaliated by throwing his pillow onto his friend’s head before waving his hand over the wall display projector to shut off the alarm.

 

Soft snores drifted to him from the bed and he couldn’t help but smirk seeing as Ravi had claimed his pillow as his new hugging object and was already blissfully drifting out on sleep. Per their standard operating procedures, he’d have to wake him again after he’d finished showering in their one bathroom.

 

Inching his way around the bed (there wasn’t much space in the room for that even let alone walking space) he slid open the closet door to his side of their shared storage. By the help of hanging organizers, even the small area he was allotted could fit his wardrobe, and he pulled out a pair of jeans along with a shirt and under tee. Sneaking back around the bed with clothes tucked against his chest, he considered sliding open the blinds to let the sun shine in, but it seemed a little too petty. He’d let Ravi sleep just a little longer he thought as he slid open the bedroom door and let it softly shut behind him.

 

In the living room/dining room/kitchen portion of their apartment he threw open the blinds to their one window there. There was something about the morning sun in the city that he loved. It bounced and leapt from towering glass buildings to reflect in the windows of cars or the chrome of the subway tunnels. The sprawling city of Sangeu never slept, as is said about all large cities, but there was definitely a surge of activity in the morning. Hongbin loved it, the press of life on all sides, even if he was inconsequential to the grand scheme of things, he loved the pulse of humanity there.

 

Amused at himself, he grinned wryly and scratched the back of his head while shuffling into the teeny spit of space called their bathroom. Mornings made him stupid, he woke with smiles and would find his melancholy again by evening when worry could set in. Something to do with the feeling that he hadn’t accomplished much during the day maybe? He wasn’t sure, nor did he want to spend too much time bandying it about in his head. Instead, he let the steam of the shower wash away the sleepiness in his eyes.

 

Out of courtesy to Ravi, he made it quick not wanting to take up all the hot water. Using the one amenity the apartment had to boast, a quick dry function built into the shower stall, he let the hot air whirl around him turning his hair almost as fluffy as his roommates. He dressed quickly and combed his hair into something more manageable, the soft brown looked plain to him compared to Ravi’s sky blue. Though the blue also made him kind of crave cotton candy as well, so there was that.

 

Back in the living room he switched on their third hand tv manually; the remote had been lost before they’d even got it. They both kept saying they’d buy a replacement for it, but in truth they had better and more important things to waste their money on. Some local morning talk show was on, but that was fine, he just wanted the background noise.

 

“Ravi-yah!” He yelled before entering the bedroom. The man in question was right where Hongbin had left him, curled around  _ his _ pillow and sleeping away. “Ravi-yah,” he repeated, “time to get up! You’ll be late if you don’t get started now. I know your boss likes you, but don’t repay him by being late.” For good measure he pulled back the covers and tried to tug the pillow away from Ravi’s clutches.

 

A brief tug of war broke out over the object before Hongbin dissolved into giggles loud enough to penetrate even his roommate’s sleep addled brain. By the time Ravi could peek over the edge of the bed all he saw was his roommate on the ground, eyes and nose scrunched up in laughter that teased out his dimples. It was something of a sight to behold, and probably the best thing to wake up to in Ravi’s opinion.

 

He spent a moment grinning over his friends continued giggle fit until he spied the time read out. 7:20. Crap, he was going to be so late if he didn’t kick it into gear. Like a miniature hurricane, he scrambled over the bed toward the closet sending the bedding flying in all directions. His side of the closet was much less organized but he still managed to reach in and pull out what were hopefully a pair of long shorts and a loose t shirt that would match in record time.

 

Hongbin could only continue laughing as he watched Ravi zoom past him into the living room followed shortly by the bathroom door slamming shut. No one could out stripe his Wonsik when it came to speeding through the morning. (And also destroying well made beds it seemed.)

 

As Ravi showered at lightning speed, Hongbin poured them both a cup of coffee as well as spooned up a couple bowls of rice with some dried fish on top. Meager but filling enough to get them both started on their day. He ate his while sitting on their battered couch, watching some pretty suited sort on the tv talk about something or other going on in the city. The man on screen was speaking very animatedly, wide grins and fluttery hand movements, plus an air of confidence that he seemed to wear like a coat.

 

“...we’re going to open the week before Christmas and hopefully run straight through New Years and beyond. As the theatre just had renovations, it’s the perfect time to welcome everyone into our home and share what we love with all the people out there. I hope everyone will come and see this thrilling piece that will pull you under and hold you hostage for the whole show. We’re very proud of our production; every staff member has worked very hard to bring this to you.”

 

The smiley woman interviewing the promoter nodded her head along with all of his claims, doing a real good job of appearing to eat up his every word. “I know I’ll be there!” The two shared a laugh, the man with the enchanting eyes acting embarrassed by her praise. “And I think we’re all very excited to see the return of Leo to the stage. It’s been a little over a year since his last musical hasn’t it?” Hongbin’s head perked up at the mention of the stage sensation known as Jung Leo. Once, a couple years back, his parents had given him a Christmas gift of tickets to one of Leo’s musicals. He’d left with a couple of the singer’s albums and a strong want to see the show again.

 

“Mmm yes, we’re very happy to have his comeback be on our stage. As you know Leo-ssi has been focusing on his solo career but he couldn’t resist the role of Park Jihoon and the twisting tale of the birth and life of his criminal empire and his double role as a ruthless man and loving family man.” Pictures came up on the screen of a man dressed in a pin stripe suit, dark hair swept back from a striking face with high cheek bones and feline like eyes that seemed to be glaring straight through the camera into Hongbin himself. “Leo-ssi brings a chic charisma to the stage that I think is what sets apart his performance in this role as superior.” The promoter nodded along with his words, his earnest enthusiasm was clear.

 

“Opening soon at the Victory Theatre, it’s ‘Once Forgotten, Twice Removed’ starring Jung Leo-ssi. We hope to see all of you there!” The interviewer and promoter bowed to the camera to end out the segment.

 

“Wish I could go.” Hongbin muttered to himself with a grin. Maybe he’d get a lucky Christmas present again.

 

“Go where?” Ravi strolled out the bathroom looking 100% more awake than he had when he went in. His lips were spread in a wide smirk and he came around and sat companionably right next to Hongbin, scooping up his bowl of rice that rested on their tiny coffee table and digging in with gusto.

 

“Oh, a new musical is opening up soon down in the theatre district.” Hongbin explained even though he was pretty sure that if it didn’t include rapping, Ravi wasn’t the least bit interested. “I’m a fan of the lead actor,” he added quietly. Back when he’d seen his first musical he’d asked Ravi to go with him, but his friend had had a date at the time. Hongbin had been quick to explain that he wasn’t asking Ravi out, maybe a little too quick because he hadn’t quite been able to hide the blush that came along with the rushed response. It was his good fortune that Ravi had been all but oblivious, just responding with a shrug and a mellow, ‘it’s cool, dont’ worry Bin-ah.’

 

Ravi only nodded and continued woofing down his rice and fish. “You should check to see how much tickets are gonna be? Maybe you’ll find a deal?” He offered between bites. At the speed he was going though, Hongbin was just surprised he didn’t choke. He gave a noncommittal ‘hmm’ in response. He needed a new lens more than he needed to stare at one Jung Leo for an evening, no matter what his brain was screaming at him currently.

 

“Okay, I gotta run.” Ravi glanced at his watch and gauged just how fast he’d need to run to make it to the store on time. “Thanks for breakfast, Hongbinnie, I’ll get it next time.” They both made ridiculous faces at each other because it was never going to happen. “Come by the cafe when you get off work okay?” He tossed his signature thumbs up before grabbing his backpack and slinging it on. He was out the door even before Hongbin could blink.

 

Morning conversations with Ravi on workdays often went like that. Gone in a blink. “You better be off too, Hongbin.” he announced to himself to try and motivate moving from the couch. Piling the dishes up he set the in the sink to soak during the day before grabbing his camera bag and his jacket. “Subway, work, coffee, job hunt,” his finger ticked off each item for the day before he hustled out the door.

 

Hongbin liked mornings, every day was, after all, a new day.


	2. Chapter 2

Two thoughts hit Ravi as he jogged along the sidewalk, weaving and swerving through the steady pedestrian traffic who clearly had better time management skills than him and therefore didn’t have to rush. One, it was fucking winter, why the hell hadn’t he grabbed his jacket in his morning stupor? And two, he had the greatest rhyme ever running through his head and if he stopped thinking about it then it would surely leave him forever never to return. So, it was not with the steadiest concentration that he barreled along, offering a quick grin and apology to those he might bump.

 

For whatever reason, he lived the perfect distance from his work so that he could either wake up early to catch the subway and get there without worrying. Or he could sleep longer and run and still make it there on time. To be fair, he’d honestly tried the waking up early thing for about two weeks before he knew it was never going to happen. Hongbin had laughed himself stupid the first time he’d asked to set the alarm earlier than they usually had it, complete with his stupid adorable little foot stomps. And well after that  _ grievous _ insult Ravi had been forced to retaliate with a pillow to the face, from there it just deteriorated into a very intense pillow fight and destroyed bedroom.

 

And he still hadn’t been able to wake up in time for the stupid subway. Mornings were lame.

 

Legs with a mind of their own turned him down a side street that was a 50/50 shot of either delaying him or cutting his run by five minutes. It all depended on if the refuse truck was taking up the full alley when he happened to come by. He dashed down the first street keeping an ear out for the sound of the truck before skidding around a corner to see a gloriously empty alley way. He definitely wasn’t going to be late this time  he thought as he did a leap frog over a trash receptacle.

 

A part of him, a part he wasn’t about to admit to, really enjoyed the morning rush to work. Even if he could leave to get there on time, he’d miss the endorphin high that came from sprinting there. And maybe he’d miss racing the clock too, but that was such a ridiculous notion. What kind of person liked tempting fate and racing the clock? Certainly not Ravi, no sir. But the run did wake him up.

 

With a couple of minutes to spare before the start of his shift at a corner convenience store he came sliding in through the door, waving a frantic hand at his boss while rushing to store his bag in the back room. He kicked his pack under a table and donned the apron that was the standard ‘uniform’ for the shop; it was basically just passed between all the part timers. As such it wasn’t all that surprising to find a new stain on it or a slight hole.

 

“Good morning Wonsikie.” Behind the main register counter his boss, a kind man who had taken pity on a rain drenched Ravi years ago, updated his tally. ‘Days Wonsikie hasn’t been late’ changed from 14 to 15, he was creeping up on a new record. “Did you have breakfast?” Seo Eunchan was more like a father away from home to Ravi than he was his boss. Maybe that was why Ravi had never gone looking for another morning job despite the low pay. 

 

“Yes, thank you,” Ravi replied, wasting no time in getting to work organizing the aisles and rows of snacks and convenience items. It didn’t take too long because it wasn’t a very big shop, but no one was going to accuse him of not being diligent and a good worker. For most of the morning he just picked up around the shop, made sure to dust the counters and wash the windows at least from the inside as well as restock any of the items they were getting low on from the boxes piled up in their storage room.

 

There was a companionable quiet in the store, except when the odd customer dropped by; it gave him lots of time to think. It was a good time to work on his rhymes, and he did so with a thoughtful face, sometimes scrunching up in concentration as he mentally flowed through some verses. He had a couple days until the next gathering of rappers for a throwdown happened. The night before had been one of his good nights, despite getting home so late he’d been on point all evening. Even smoked a few of the other contenders much to the crowd’s pleasure if the ‘ooooo’s and rabble had been any indication.

 

The only problem was, he didn’t particularly like the battles. Insult after insult slung through a mic to jeers and cheers. The dirtier the grime the more the people got fired up and that’s what made a rapper’s name rise to the top, at least around the crowd he ran with. But Ravi just wanted to rap, he wanted to craft lyrical masterpieces that could stun the world and make everyone stop for a moment to listen. He wanted to be able to send a message that was more than just himself, he wanted to send a projection of his ideal self and views through his music. But until he gained more acknowledgement, it was still nights of battle raps and disses.

 

Something of his thoughts must have shown on his face since Eunchan paused in arranging some kimbap to peer at him. “Wonsikie, come here.” Ravi jerked out of his thoughts and straightened his posture before following the order. “Here”, his boss held out a plastic wrap covered kimbap triangle, “eat this before your nap, you look a little tired.” A protest died on his lips before he could even utter it. “Listen to your boss, Wonsikie.” Eunchan wagged his finger at him before giving him a pat on the back. “You’re a good boy, I’m sure you’ll figure out whatever problem is on your mind.” Eunchan never pried, even though he could see when Ravi was concerned; he was only ever supportive. “Thank you for your hard work today.” The older man smiled and plopped the kimbap into Ravi’s hand before ambling back toward the register.

 

‘What hard work?’ Ravi thought as he tugged the apron off over his head. This was by far his easier job and it never really felt too much like labor rather than helping out a family member. “Isn’t that right, kimbap-ssi?” he asked the seaweed wrapped food before snickering to himself. Strictly speaking he probably shouldn’t have used the back room of the store for a nap, but Eunchan never seemed to mind, in fact he mostly encouraged it, always telling Ravi he didn’t get enough at night.

 

In short order Ravi had devoured the kimbap, a smile spread across his face because it had been his favorite fillings. Of course his boss would know. Somehow, he was in a better mood when he laid his head down on the table in the back, his backpack clutched to his chest. That must have been his boss’s plan all along. It was a matter of seconds until soft snores were echoing quietly in the room.

 

And it was a good thing he’d got his rest, because his second job was as busy as ever. Coffee House was a cute independent cafe that stood out even against the big company chains that seemed to permeate the streets of Sangeu. They were known for friendly service, perfectly roasted coffee beans that never left a bitter taste, and excellent pastries. The atmosphere was chic but homey at the same time. Warm wood tones and soft music kept the place feeling cozy while also looking a touch classy. It was a favored haunt for highschool and college kids but didn’t seem to turn away young professionals either.

 

Depending on the day Ravi could work the register or make coffee or switch between the two at the drop of a hat. Customers loved him and he was pretty good about remembering orders for their regulars but even more they loved his latte art. Nothing extravagant, he just liked adding little touches to make people smile.

 

“Put a pokeball on this one!” Hyuk, one of his co-workers called over to him from the register, indicating the receipt he’d pinned to the order board. It made Ravi laugh but he nodded and gave the thumbs up to acknowledge the request. Trust Hyuk to find the one customer who’d want a pokeball on their latte. He was a good kid though, still in college and trying to earn some extra cash when he wasn’t studying. More than once Ravi had spotted him nose deep in some text book during his breaks. Sometimes Ravi wasn’t sure if he was too smart for his own good since his mouth would run at times thinking he knew better.

 

With his trusty stirring stick in hand, Ravi crafted his art, grinning his face off and telling himself he absolutely must not start laughing or else he’d probably ruin the drink. It was lucky for him that the shape was so simple. Reading the name off the receipt, he set the drink on the service counter, “Pokemon Trainer Donggeun-ssi!” The student who’d ordered it got a chuckle out of it and they high fived briefly. People like that made the job actually fun.

 

“Ravi-hyung, can you take over register?” Hyuk turned to him with a devilish smirk being sure to keep his back toward the line of customers, one in particular, the one at the register.

 

And then there were people like  _ him _ that made the job so very, very interesting. Ravi nodded and felt his mouth automatically tip up into a grin. The man at the register merely continued to stare at the pair of them with a serious expression. His dark hair was down and swept just along his eyebrows, high and wide cheekbones, and the cutest cupid’s bow lips Ravi had ever seen. And then there his eyes, long and narrow and a little dangerous, they reminded him of a stalker jungle cat.

 

The man had no name, at least not one Ravi knew. He’d been coming into the cafe for months and never once had given his name for the order, silently just shaking his head no when he was asked. And he always paid in cash too, never used a card so that was a bust as well. It was always the same, he’d come to the register, quietly with the softest voice order a double shot latte to go and then pay with cash and wait silently at the service counter. As it stood, Ravi had dubbed him ‘Tall Double Shot Latte with Cat Eyes’ and never failed to add a ‘=(^ ㅅ^)=’ as the art to his drink.

 

Sometimes he’d stick around, find a table to sip his drink a while still just watching the room with his intense gaze. Other times, the bad times in Ravi’s opinion, he’d leave just as quietly as he came in. No matter which it was, the mystery of the stranger pulled at him and all Ravi had been able to do was hang back and hope that he’d still be there when he got the courage to go speak with him. But he never was.

 

“What can I make for you?” Ravi asked easily, already knowing the answer before the other man could speak with that soft voice. ‘Double shot latte to go.’ Ravi thought along with him as he answered. Just as he’d expected. “Happy to,” he offered a large smile to the man but was met with the same serious expression as always. “What name would you like us to use to call out your order?” Ravi phrased his question in a way that meant the man didn’t need to give his actual name but still only received a head shake in answer, the other’s intense eyes never leaving Ravi’s face. “Alright, maybe next time,” but they both knew that wasn’t going to happen, “your total comes to…” but he couldn’t even finish as the man across the counter was already setting out the exact amount. “Well I guess you already know,” Ravi laughed so his eyes crinkled. “It’ll be right up.”

 

As the man left to wait at the service counter Hyuk tugged on Ravi’s sleeve. “Hyung, I can’t do latte art like you, take over that?” Bless this boy, it wasn’t as if he couldn’t see what he was trying to do. Hyuk didn’t wait for an answer, simply gave his hyung a tug toward the espresso machine while he took up his post at the register again. Furtively, Ravi peeked over toward Tall Double Shot Latte with Cat Eyes to see if he’d witnessed their obvious display but it looked like he was just staring at the floor.

 

He wouldn’t say that he spent extra care on the latte, he was just a little more aware of it while he steamed the milk and brewed the double shot. Carefully he etched on the same cat face he’d been using for all of the months that the man had been coming to the cafe while Ravi was working. If he ever noticed that he had the same art each time, he never mentioned it, but that didn’t stop Ravi from grinning at the cute little mouth on the cat. The store had ordered clear to go cup lids just for occasions like this. Even the coffee drinker on the go could appreciate their artistry.

 

“Double shot latte to go.” Instead of using a name Ravi called out the drink order. He didn’t need to since the man was standing right there, but it gave him an excuse to meet his eyes and hold out his drink to him. All he got for his trouble was a nod and… was that a slight upturn of his lips? Could it have been a smile? Ravi wasn’t sure since it had been there for all of a microsecond, he very well could have imagined it.

 

It was hard to not watch him go, so he didn’t. Ever so casually, Ravi leaned back to see if the man would stay this day. But he didn’t.

 

After that and a few playful teasing barbs from Hyuk, the rest of the day was so much less interesting. The busy hour hit and he could barely remember his own name among all the drink orders let alone wonder about Tall Double Shot Latte with Cat Eyes. The cafe was quite figuratively swimming in people and neither he nor Hyuk got a breather until the rush hour was over. They both just leaned back against the counter, a slight sheen of sweat on their brows from all the steam.

 

“You look beat,” a familiar voice called out from the counter and Ravi looked up to spy Hongbin beaming at him, his face eating smile wide. God, why were there so many handsome bastards showing up in his shop today? He was only one Ravi, he could only handle so much. Never mind that he had been the one to tell Hongbin to come visit. “Rough day?” Hongbin asked.

 

“His boyfriend showed up.” Hyuk replied with a grin before prancing out of reach just in case Ravi chose to retaliate.

 

“Oh, Tall Double Shot Latte with Cat Eyes?” Hongbin asked, eyebrows rising high on his forehead. “Did you get a name this time?” He’d been hearing stories about the mysterious Latte guy with cat’s eyes for months. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t interested in learning the newest chapter of the saga.

 

Ravi sighed and hung his head shaking it from side to side. “Sadly no. But there’s always next time right?” He chose to keep the maybe could have been a smile to himself. “You want a drink? I’m about to go on break.”

 

“Boba milk tea please.” Hongbin grinned teasing out his dimples.


	3. Chapter 3

“Can’t believe you forgot this,” Hongbin grumbled as he shoved a hooded jacket into Ravi’s arms, “Don’t you know it’s winter out? And you don’t take the subway! You could have been an icicle, or at the very least have caught a cold.” The two of them settled into one of the cozy tables in the cafe. “And then I’d have to take care of you and get you yookgaejang and listen to you sniffle all day.” His voice sounded like he was whining but they both knew that he’d have done all of it without thinking twice, the same way Ravi would have done the same for him. “So, it’s really better if you just stay healthy, okay?” Hongbin sent a pointed look at his friend, who shrugged into the jacket to prove that he would wear it sending the younger man a sweet grin.

 

“Thanks Binnie.” Ravi reached across the small round table to pinch one of Hongbin’s cheeks, giving it a couple of tugs despite the bland stare his friend was delivering to him. “Aigoo, so handsome even when he glares at me.” It took all of about three seconds before Hongbin’s lips started to purse, trying to suppress an oncoming giggle. “The most handsome of handsome men.” It was enough to have the other man’s nose scrunching up as his lips spread into a grin so wide it dominated most of his face. “Oh, even his smile is the most handsome.”

 

“Aish, you want to die?” Hongbin waved off Ravi’s hand and tried to take on a serious look but the light of laughter was still shining in his eyes. “More handsome than your Tall Double Shot Latte with Cat Eyes?” the younger man giggled behind his hand before holding up his other one to try and stave off whatever reply Ravi might have given, his expression sobering quickly. “Don’t answer that.” He wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to know the answer honestly. 

 

The jokes aside, sometimes it was just nice to think that he held such esteem in his friend’s mind. A kind of lame consolation prize to the fact that he’d come to depend on Wonsik almost completely without realizing it many years before but never… well almost never had tried doing anything about it. It was better this way though, they’d both seen a couple of relationships come and go but real friendship couldn’t be replaced as easily. Much smoother all around if he just kept all that to himself. “So, tell me about it? Was it the same as usual?”

 

Ravi sipped at his cup of tea and considered. It wasn’t quite the same, well it might have been, he still wasn’t sure if that had been a smile or not. “Maybe?” he ventured with a shrug, but that just earned him another bland Hongbin stare. “I think he smiled at me for like all of a quarter of a second?” It sounded like wishful thinking when he said it out loud. “You should have seen Hyukie though, that kid, trying to turn into a smooth operator.” He chuckled over it but lifted one brow at the same time, he himself wasn’t sure what to make of it. “It would have been really embarrassing if Tall Double Shot Latte with Cat Eyes had seen him trying to maneuver me around.”

 

“Awww you’re making progress Wonsikie.” Hongbin said thoughtfully before drinking more of his boba. He could believe it, it was hard not to smile at Ravi sometimes. “And you should thank Hyukie for helping you out,” he added, even if the younger boy’s actions had been a little less than subtle. “Between the both of you, maybe you’ll get a name from him eventually and we can stop using the ridiculously long codename.” Though Hongbin wasn’t even sure if he could now, it was too funny to ever let drop.

 

“What else was I supposed to call him?” Ravi huffed with an exasperated tone. “He couldn’t just be ‘that hot guy who buys coffee and doesn’t talk’ that’s just as long and not nearly as perfect.” They both grinned at that. “I guess I could make up a name for him but I wouldn’t even know where to start. We could shorten it down to Latte but I don’t think that gives enough credit.” Hongbin couldn’t help but to start laughing at that point, the serious considering look on Ravi’s face being too much for him to take.

 

“You’ll be here all day if you start trying to think of a new one.” Hongbin waved away the notion. “And unfortunately even though that’d be fun, I don’t have the time for that today.” He frowned because he didn’t want to cut the conversation short.

 

“Have plans?” Ravi tilted his head with a raised brow. They weren’t necessarily always in each other’s business but well yes that was exactly what they were. And he didn’t recall Hongbin talking about anything he had to after work.

 

The other boy nodded, “Mmm yeah, I cracked a lens last week so I thought I’d go hunting to see if there were any freelance jobs opening up since the holidays are coming in. If I could earn some extra maybe I could get a new lens or go see that musical.” It wasn’t as if he’d been thinking about that all day or anything. The temptation to see Jung Leo on stage again was a little too strong in his opinion. “Won’t know unless I look though, right?”

 

“Back in time for dinner?” Ah yes, directly to the important part for Ravi. Hongbin grinned and nodded. 

 

“Yeah, so don’t eat everything while I’m not there.” Ravi’s exaggeratedly refused to make eye contact with his roommate, putting on his best innocent face. “Yah! I mean it!” Hongbin slapped his hand onto the table while Ravi still wouldn’t meet his eyes. “You’ll be sorry if you do!” But the threat rang a bit hollow since neither of them could think of a damn thing Hongbin would do and it wasn’t as if Ravi actually could eat everything in their apartment. “You owe me for the jacket!” It was a last ditch attempt to save face but was somewhat ruined by the giggle tacked on at the end.

 

“Fine, fine.” Ravi stood up as Hongbin did and arched back to stretch his muscles. “Back to work for me, I guess.” He held out a hand to take Hongbin’s empty cup. “Hey,” he called to his friend who was shrugging on his own jacket. “Good luck, okay? Find something that pays a lot!” That earned him another face splitting smile and an enthusiastic nod. “I’ll see you at home.”

 

“See you!” Hongbin dipped his head in a small bow and then waved to Hyuk behind the counter before pushing the exit open and ducking back out into the cold. The vapors of his breath puffed around him as the freezing temperature seemed to zero in on his nose and ears. “Should have brought a scarf,” he mumbled to himself before tucking his hands into his pockets and setting off toward the nearby department store.

 

Earlier at work he’d browsed through the local papers for job listings. It turned out that there was a need for a holiday photographer in the evenings at the department store. It was just what Hongbin had been looking for. He just had to convince them that he was more than qualified for the job. Somehow he wasn’t expecting his portfolio of city scapes and faceless candids were going to be impressing anyone who wanted someone to snap photos of a bunch of kids and Santa.

 

It shouldn’t have caught him so off guard that the floors were so busy but it did. The help desk was all but swamped with people needing this or looking for that or angry about something else. All he wanted was an application but he still had to wait in line for a few minutes while the loud speakers pumped out cheery music to try and bowl over the din of the crowd. 

 

When he finally was able to step up to the desk the woman behind it looks so stressed he thought about turning around and leaving without even saying anything. “Yes, what can I help you with?” There was a certain bite to her words that he wasn’t sure she knew was there but it made him nervous.

 

“Ah,” he shifted his camera bag and tried again, “I’m here about the photographer position?” The tail end of sentence lilted up like he was slightly confused.

 

“They’re waiting for you.” her voice went a little cross, sounding as if she didn’t have time for this, “Boardroom 410, on the fourth floor, east side of the building.” She rattled off instructions to him and he tried to slot them away even while he looked for a way to tell her she was mistaken about his identity. But he didn’t get the chance as she beckoned forth the next angry customer right after she finished and by the time Hongbin had his wits about him he was too embarrassed to try and interrupt her.

 

It wouldn’t hurt to go where she directed, he thought, at the very least maybe they’d be able to give him an application. All he needed to do was apologize and explain the situation, right? There was no way that would go wrong. His lips twisted into a frown. He should have just got back in line for the help desk and explained it to her.

 

Still, his feet seemed to be taking him where she’d directed, up the escalators to the fourth floor and then to the right. This part of the building must have been a bunch of meeting rooms as there didn’t look to be any shops or displays near by. Hongbin got the distinct feeling that he wasn’t supposed to be there, but he didn’t stop going forward.

 

A plaque outside of one set of open doors read ‘410’ so it must have been the room he was looking for. Screwing up all his courage, Hongbin cautiously peeked his head into the room but saw only a long rectangle table surrounded by high backed chairs and… nothing else? As quietly as he could he padded into the room, glancing around for anyone. Maybe he’d gotten the room number wrong? Or the assistant downstairs had said they’d been waiting for him or whoever was supposed to be showing up, maybe they’d already got tired of that and left? Was he supposed to wait for them? It seemed rude not to wait a few minutes despite the fact that he wasn’t the scheduled appointment.

 

The room was very much empty, so he set his camera bag down and pulled his portfolio out of his side sack to place on the table too. The more he stood there the more and more awkward he began feeling. This wasn’t his interview what was he doing? No, he should just go back downstairs and hope he got another service assistant so he could ask them for an application before he shriveled in on himself in embarrassment. Ah, it was too late, Hongbin pressed fingers to both his eyes and tried not to cringe.

 

So wrapped up in his own thoughts, he didn’t notice the two men enter the room and stare at him covering his face for a moment. It wasn’t until he lowered his hands and locked eyes with one of them that he really felt like sinking into the floor and disappearing.

 

“Oh!” the one holding his gaze lit up with a huge grin, “He’s perfect!”


	4. Chapter 4

Hongbin froze, eyes wide and unblinking as the two men in suits stared back at him from the entrance to the room. Yes, he definitely wasn’t supposed to be there. And he most definitely wasn’t perfect. But no matter what his brain was screaming to the rest of his body, he couldn’t seem to move. Suddenly he’d become statue Hongbin, motionless and mute and desperate for a way to disappear out of this awkward situation. A minor sort of panic crept up his spine as the one who spoke inched closer, the peculiar smile not leaving his face. What had he walked into and how could he escape?

 

The man was getting closer, his eager eyes were unblinking and the smile kept getting scarier to Hongbin. It was also somewhat familiar but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it in the face of panic. “Oooooo,” the man made a soft cooing noise and peered around at Hongbin’s face from all angles. “He is perfect!” He reiterated and turned back to his co-hort for a moment with the same bright grin before eyeing Hongbin again.

 

“Manager Hakyeon,” the other man spoke quietly, eyes staring mostly at the floor rather than the other. “Manager Hakyeon,” he repeated trying to draw the tan skinned man’s attention away from the statue of a living being. “He doesn’t work for us. That’s not our photographer…” The floor felt like it was dropping out from below Hongbin. This was absolutely one of the worst ideas he’d ever had, and that included the time he’d convinced Ravi to blow school off and go waste their money at the arcade.

 

Say something, Hongbin, was all he could think. It needed to be cleared up, no he wasn’t their photographer, yes he was very sorry, yes he will go, sorry again to disturb you. Or something like that, but no words came out. The man staring at him still, Hakyeon, merely shrugged with a nonchalant, “Oh.” But it didn’t seem to deter him at all from continuing his inspection. “But you are a photographer aren’t you?”

 

It took a few moments of the man just staring at him to realize that he’d been addressing him with that question. “Ahhhhh…” That wasn’t exactly what he wanted to say. “I didn’t mean to mislead you.” Neither was that. “But uh, yes?” It seemed really wrong to try and promote himself at the moment when they’d thought he was already an employee, but he didn’t want to lie either.

 

“I’ll take a look then,” Hakyeon scooped up Hongbin’s portfolio before he could protest. Why was everything going so quickly? He could do nothing but flounder there as the other man cracked open his selection of photographs and began leafing through the pages making appreciative noises.

 

“Who are you?” The other man in the room asked, looking almost as much as a fish out of water as Hongbin did. Maybe that was just the affect of being in the same room as this ‘Manager’ Hakyeon. However he seemed decidedly less pleased to find Hongbin snooping around in rooms where he probably wasn’t meant to be, and it made Hongbin want to shrink back and hide once more.

 

“Lee Hongbin,” he answered and gave a small bow, finally able to command his joints to move more than a few centimetres. “I apologize for being here. I tried to come get an application for the holiday photographer position but I think the service assistant was confused. I was directed here. I’m sorry again.” He forced himself to look earnestly into their eyes, well one pair at least. The one who’d inspected him was too busy looking through his portfolio; it suddenly made him feel very subconscious. “I’ll go.” Hongbin added, hanging his head, but when he held out his hand Hakyeon made no motion to give his book of photos back.

 

Instead, Hakyeon started wandering in circles, still with the book in hand. “Oh, these aren’t bad.” For just a moment he glanced up and gave Hongbin another pleased grin before turning a few more pages. “You’re pretty good, Hongbinnie.” The informality made Hongbin nearly tip over. He didn’t know this man at all, but Hakyeon didn’t seem to pay much notice he only continued to ‘hmmm’ and ‘ooooo’ from time to time.

 

“Manager Hakyeon,” the other man started, “I told you he doesn’t work for us, he’s not one of this store’s photographers.” And by that point, Hongbin was pretty sure he’d never get the chance to be either. Why did he do this?

 

In an instant Hakyeon’s mood changed from faintly amused and pleased to razor sharp, giving the department store representative a fierce look. “And why does that matter? Eh? Just look,” He turned the book with a flourish to display a picture of Ravi looking out of their apartment window at sunset. The red glow of light breaking through the still glittering towering buildings cast Ravi’s form in only silhouette. “Atmosphere. This is what we need.” Hongbin could feel his ears turning red from the compliments. “Plus, look at him, he’s very handsome.” And that made his head jerk up, a confused look on his face. Why would that matter? “He’ll look very good when the documentary cameras come through. Ah, everyone should look handsome on set.” Hakyeon nodded along with himself as if agreeing to everything he said.

 

“But I’ve already told…” the store rep started but was cut off just with a wave of Hakyeon’s hand.

 

“It doesn’t matter, he’s not here, and Hongbinnie is.” Hakyeon put back on his wide smile and returned his attention to Hongbin. “You’re here for a job right? A photography job?” The younger man could only nod. “Ah what good luck then. I’m Cha Hakyeon by the way, I’m the manager of the Victory Theatre.” A light came on in Hongbin’s mind, the Victory Theatre, the new Leo musical, which meant he must have been the man from the morning program. Something like a tickle started in the back of his throat. “The grumpy one over there is Byun Kwangsung the general manager of this department store.”

 

“Manager Hakyeon, since we are already sponsoring this production it only makes sense that we should use one of our own photographers,” the store manager fumed.

 

“Hongbinnie said he came here to pick up an application, that’s close enough. You want this musical to succeed as much as I do, Kwangsung-ssi. This is an excellent choice.” Hakyeon spoke like the matter was done with. “Hongbinnie,” he turned back to Hongbin, “a new musical is opening in my theatre soon and we were scheduled to do a new promotional photo shoot but our hired photographer had an accident and can’t do it anymore. It’s very short notice but you are looking for work aren’t you?”

 

Internally Hongbin was back on panic mode. A photoshoot? For the musical? Would Leo be there? His eyes were still popped wide, and he tried to nod, tried to form some words. “When?” No, that wasn’t right, he should have asked for other things, Ravi’s voice saying ‘Find something that pays a lot’ rang in his head. “I mean, do you have more details?”

 

“Ah,” Hakyeon pulled a face that said he was embarrassed, “it’s tomorrow actually at 5:00 at the theatre. I would re-schedule for you if we could but the videographer will be coming as well. I can have your contract brought so you can read it before we start.” Though Hongbin thought that the way he said it sounded as if he assumed already he’d be participating. “You can make it can’t you?” 

 

For some reason Hongbin found himself nodding. What could it hurt? It was better than no job at all, and he had the distinct feeling like he wouldn’t be getting hired by the department store. Maybe he could look into those theatre tickets too while he was there. “Aigoo, I knew I could count on you Hongbinnie. I will see you there tomorrow at 5:00 sharp.” For  brief moment Hakyeon’s eyes dragged up and down Hongbin’s form. “Wear something nice. You’ll be on camera too after all. Ah, so handome, I’m so lucky.” It was like he was speaking to himself by the end of it. “Come on, Kwangsung-ssi, we have a meeting to get to. Hongbinnie, I’ll see you tomorrow.” And like the passing of a spring storm, he was gone in a blink.

 

Seconds passed, maybe minutes. Who could tell the passing of time after being inside the eye of the storm? If he let himself, Hongbin could have pretended that none of that happened. His camera bag and portfolio were exactly where he’d left them. Had that really just happened to him? A bit dazed, Hongbin dug his hand phone out of his pack and started a text to Ravi.

 

**_Think I got a job. ^v^ Should I grab anything on the way home?_ **

 

The response came almost instantaneously the chime on his phone dinging cheerfully; he could always trust Ravi for quick response.

 

**_Congratulations my Bin-ah!~ Just come home, I’m cooking dinner._ **

 

Hongbin grinned down at his phone excited for dinner. Ravi didn’t cook often but he made a really good kimchi jjigae. The message tone on his phone beeped again and he jumped slightly. Silly thing.

 

**_Also pick up snacks for dessert we may have run out… >>;_ **

 

Ravi grinned down at his phone with a dumb look on his face. He could only picture the way Hongbin would react to that. First there would be a shouting at inanimate objects, then a few moments of flustered silence and finally he’d elect to not respond or stoop to that level. So, it didn’t surprise him at all when there came no reply, the same way he knew that Hongbin would still show up with snacks in tow.

 

There wasn’t much prep left to do for dinner. Their dining room table (aka the coffee table in front of the couch) was already set with paper towels, chop sticks, and banchan. The jjigae was still on the stove top and the beats were flowing from his slightly blown out speaker and hand phone. The one advantage to having their space to himself for a time was that he could groove around the apartment without tripping over someone else’s foot.

 

Even in a half apron with the image of some anime character on it he was rocking the flow. Gliding his way around the kitchen, pulling mismatched bowls and cups from the cupboard, he was completely in the groove. And a good thing that was since he’d been called out. Apparently his win over a rival the previous night had tweaked the guys nose a bit, and when he’d got home from work a new text had told him that he better be at the Waste Pipe, one of the stages they used, the next night because he wanted a re-match. It was only his third time getting picked specifically and he had already got a few more texts from the crew he jammed with telling him to take the guy down.

 

The stew still had another few minutes before it’d be ready so he dished up some rice and brought the bowls and cups to the table. He kicked back onto the couch and picked up his battered notebook that he kept his lyrics in. The thing was an ugly sight, it’d been stuffed into so many backpacks over the years, but what was inside was what mattered. It was more than just his rhymes, it was a part of him, a little sliver that he cut out and placed inside each time he poured his mind into it.

 

The latest page had scratched in and scratched out words all over it. To someone who wasn’t familiar with his process it probably looked like a mess but it was pure art to Ravi and he could slot together the pieces to see the beautiful whole. He nibbled on the blunt end of his pen before he set to work letting loose the unfettered feelings in his head. The ink spread across the page, his writing adjusted to the space he had, growing cramped and small when he neared a margin only to equal out again on the next line. When the song changed he just kept with it. Maybe he’d hobble together a remaster mix and really blow them all away. Or hell, maybe he’d just write his own music.

 

The sound of the stove alarm shrilling startled Ravi and pulled him out of his own little world. It never ceased to surprise him to look down at the page and see that nearly all of it had been filled while he was keyed into his own mind. Setting the book down he body rolled his way over to the kitchen and shut off the alarm. A quick dip with a spoon and a slightly scalded tongue later and he was proud to say that his masterpiece was finished.

 

As if on cue, the door scanner chimed it’s unlocking and Hongbin pushed it open, a convenience store sack hanging off his arm. “I’m home,” he announced and slipped off his shoes as Ravi used the pot holders to carry the boiling stew to the table. “Oh, smells good in here!”

 

“Right on time, Hongbinnie, have a seat, I’m starved.” Ravi didn’t bother getting up after leaning down to set the pot. His roommate scrambled over to the table and kneeled down on his side shrugging out of his jacket and folding it neatly to set down. Ravi stifled a snort, it was disgusting, how organized and well kept Hongbin could be, even in their own space where they were by all logic supposed to be messy young boys. “Let’s eat!” Food would distract him.

 

“Thank you for the food.” Hongbin said with a huge grin before diving in for the jjigae. “How did you know I wanted this?”

 

“I know you better than you know yourself,” Ravi laughed and scooped up more that, “and it’s the one thing I reliably know how to make, you know that.” They shared a giggle over that but his roommate assured him that he had many more culinary talents than that. Not that any were coming to mind. “Mmm, tell me about this job you got!” He’d almost forgotten in the joy of eating to ask.

 

Honbin’s face lit up and Ravi could see right off that he was excited. It was the most precious look, how his eyes would grow wide and his dimples would pop out. “You know that musical? The one I was talking about this morning with the actor I like?” Ravi nodded and gesture for his friend to continue with his chopsticks. “The manager of the theatre it’s showing in is hiring me to take some promotional shots for the show tomorrow afternoon.” His roommate was all but bouncing in excitement. “The whole… ‘interview’ was a complete mess. It really happened by accident I think because I wasn’t even supposed to be there. It just happened that I was a photographer in the right room when they needed one.” 

 

His friend looked a little deterred at that but Ravi went ahead to interject, “Accident or fate? You can never tell, Bin-ah.” While his Hongbin considered that, Ravi took another spoonful of the stew. He was pretty damn good at this. “So is he going to be there?” Hongbin only raised a quizzical brow at him. “Your actor you like, is going to be there tomorrow? Maybe this is fate too,” Ravi laughed but nodded like he was serious.

 

“I’m not sure. Since he liked my cityscapes he probably just wants me to take pictures of the theatre itself but who knows maybe I’ll get lucky.” Hongbin giggled and tried to shake ridiculous scenarios of meeting Jung Leo out of his head. “I wouldn't even know what to do if I had the chance to talk to him. Probably sputter something about being a fan and then try to hide behind the nearest rock,” he admitted with grin. There was absolutely no way he’d be able to look Leo in the face let alone try and take his picture. The man was far too handsome for that.

 

Ravi couldn’t help but chuckle since he could totally picture his friend doing just as he described, though where he’d find a rock big enough to hide behind in a theatre was a mystery. “That’s still a pretty cool job though even if it’s just theatre shots, it’ll look really good on your work history!” Ravi held up his glass to clink against Hongbin’s. “Cheers, man, you deserve it! And it sounds like the kind of gig that pays well too.” He added an exaggerated aegyo face to make his friend dissolve into giggles. “What’d you bring us for snacks?” Ravi had priorities after all.

 

It took a few moments for his friend to calm down from his giggles before he could reach into the sack he brought in. “Since we missed it last month,” he whipped out a cute rectangular box, “Happy late Pepero day, Wonsikie!”

 

Then it was Ravi’s turn to fall over with laughter. It was such a dumb tradition they had, after years and years they still tended to give each other boxes of the candy coated sticks. This had been the first year they’d missed it since middle school. “But we’re already tall and thin!” Ravi pointed out between laughs, he hardly even noticed when the box doffed off the top his head. Hongbin must have thrown it to him… at him… whichever. 

 

But then he got an idea. “Hongbinnie come here.” He gestured to the spot next to him. Dutifully his roommate got up from his seat on the floor across from him to sit near him. Ravi ripped into the box of chocolate treats and grabbed one of the sticks. Placing the bare end of the stick between his teeth, he pursed his lips around it. Hongbin would get the message.

 

And oh he did. Hongbin eyed the chocolate end of the stick like it was a snake that might bite him. “Are you serious, Wonsikie? We’re not kids anymore.” He knew exactly what Ravi wanted him to do, Ravi was obviously testing him, checking to see if he’d flinch or chicken out. “Fine, you asked for this though.” Hongbin leaned forward to delicately bite down on the free end of the pepero stick. Slowly he started nibbling more of the stick bringing his lips closer to Ravi’s; at about the halfway mark he shut his eyes tight and slowed down considerably.

 

Ravi watched through half lidded eyes as Hongbin’s face got closer. His friend had a look of pure concentration going on and his eyes were shut tight. As someone who’d played the game more than once with him, Ravi knew he was close to calling it off and breaking the snack so he took action. Gradually he bit more at his end, pushing his own mouth closer to Hongbin’s just centimetres apart and at that moment he thought to blow caution to the wind.

 

Ever so gently Ravi closed the distance between their lips until they were pressed lightly against each other. He waited, waited for Hongbin to jerk back, to yell at him for taking the joke too far, to storm off but he didn’t. They just sat there for a few moments, lips bumped up against one another awkwardly and he couldn’t tell if he was imagining it or not but it felt like Hongbin leaned forward ever so slightly and moved his lips against Ravi’s. But then he felt the cookie stick crumble where Hongbin bit it and the illusion was lost anyhow.

 

“You thought I was going to flinch didn’t you?” Hongbin asked, his words were teasing but his voice was less so, sounding a little shaky. “I think I’m going to go to bed, I’ll clean up the dishes in the morning so don’t worry about them.” And before Ravi could ask what just happened or try and gauge more of Hongbin’s tone, the younger man stood and strode into the bedroom. The door shifted shut behind him with a swoosh that sounded louder in Ravi’s ears than normal.

 

What had he just done? He asked himself that while sitting dumbfounded on the floor. A hand raised up to touch his lips and he could feel the tips of his ears start to burn a little. It wasn’t even a real kiss, he tried to tell himself. More like pushing two milk cartons to stand side by side, but then he couldn’t forget that brief moment where Hongbin’s lips moved against his. He did think he was going to flinch, Hongbin had always flinched in the past. That’s why the game was so… indulgent to play. 

 

Hongbin with his handsome face, his perfect skin and straight nose, and pink lips. With the hard cut jawline and strong neck. The same Hongbin he’d grew a crush on since he’d hit puberty and realized what an attractive person he was. Matched with their tight friendship and Ravi had spent too many weeks in highschool thinking about the thing they’d just done. But Hongbin had always flinched before it got that far, and that was for the best, Ravi would tell himself. By both of their track records, they were better friends than they were boyfriends so far.

 

It wasn’t a kiss, Ravi scolded himself, it was just Hongbin trying to prove himself this time around, that was all. Well fuck it, he’d won, Ravi decided and just threw his head back to lean against the couch. His lyric notebook slide to bump against his head. An excellent idea, he had a lot to get off his chest and mind at the moment.


	5. Chapter 5

Taekwoon’s eyes slit open at exactly 5:29 in the morning, the remnants of moonlight just fading into the transition of morning filtered in through his curtains and he shifted onto his stomach, head turned to the side to read his wall overlay. Thirty seconds until the alarm, he was always just slightly ahead of the clock no matter when he set the alarm for, like his body wasn’t going to be disturbed without his approval first. It wasn’t a race Taekwoon.

 

Even as the alarm started chiming, softly at first as it was programmed, he didn’t stand to stop it. In his head he did a quick checklist of his day, sorting out his thoughts as the scent of freshly brewed coffee started filling his condo. Prepare for the day, morning rehearsals, quick interview (why interviews…), lunch. The chiming increased in volume as Taekwoon continued to lie there. He wanted to visit the coffee shop again, and his lips firmed into a thin line at that thought. It was becoming a much too frequent habit, and a flash of soft blue hair spiked in his memory. They had good coffee, he told himself. Maybe he believed that.

 

His body started moving as the alarm increased in pitch. Maybe coffee shop, he confirmed to himself, then it was back for afternoon rehearsals, try not to strangle Jaehwan because the cameras would be there for the BTS documentary Hakyeon had wanted, and then there was yet another photoshoot. Honestly, he was going to be relieved when the show actually started and he didn’t have so much promotional prep to get through. At least on the stage he was comfortable with everything, there wasn’t any niggling distractions when it was on stage.

 

The alarm shut off with a wave of his hand and he shuffled his way into the living area of his wide condo before anything else. Tall windows lined one wall, offering a beautiful view of the city, clean and sparkling from some trick of the light. In a lowered portion of the room was his deep set couch, coffee table, and television. The kitchen was situated behind a bar island, with seats nestled underneath. The countertops were marble and the cabinets had glass panes that were frosted over. And on the far left side near his stainless steel fridge was the holy grail of the morning, his automatic coffee machine. A fresh cup was waiting for him under the single serving dispenser and it was with a small almost imperceptible smile that he took his first sip.

 

The day was allowed to start after that.

 

By the time he’d had his first cup and a half of coffee and showered the sun was starting to just peek over the tops of the building surrounding his high rise. He wore only a towel hitched around his hips while he looked around his closet. It didn’t matter too much, he’d only have to go through wardrobe several times during the day. But he settled on a pair of skinny jeans, a soft sweater, heavy pea coat, and a pashmina scarf, all in muted colors. His hair was left to dry naturally, no doubt the styling team would attack it later for the interview.

 

Another 15 minutes and a short elevator ride down the 25 levels of his building and he was ready to start the day. A decision he almost immediately regretted as a hot red two door sports car pulled up to his curb. The passenger side door slid open and the grinning face of his so-called friend Jaehwan beamed at him. “Caught you!” he crooned and motioned for Taekwoon to get into the car. He considered refusing on principle but they were headed to the same location. “Get in, we’ll be late.”

 

Taekwoon folded himself into the low to the ground car and his friend sped off before he even had a chance to snap shut his safety belt. “You’re welcome for the ride.” Jaehwan said knowing that he was as likely to get a thank you out of Taekwoon as he was a hug. “Full dress rehearsal today, you ready for it? I stayed up last night re-memorizing all my lines. I bet you’re nervous too, it’s been a while since you’ve been on the stage. I don’t think I could go a whole year without it; I read a review once that said that I thrive on the spotlight, I think they were right.” 

 

“Jaehwan-ah,” Taekwoon’s soft voice cut through all of his friends prattle easily, suddenly the other was waiting on his words. “Be quiet.” And at that Jaehwan only rolled his eyes and focused back on the road while continuing his monologuing but in smaller more digestible bites.

 

They were friends, or close to it, they’d known each other for years at least. Jaehwan had undoubtedly been at nearly every audition that he’d been to during the early days of his career, though hardly ever for the same role. They’d both caught their breaks around the same time too, albeit in different productions, but the talkative Jaehwan had said that it made them friends, not rivals. It was also his fault the Taekwoon had been given the stage name Leo.

 

At a dinner that he still wasn’t sure how he’d been talked into going to, Taekwoon had been told in no short amount of words that Jaehwan was going to go by ‘Ken’ from then on and that all of Korea, no, the World, was going to know it. So keen on the idea he’d then decreed that Taekwoon should go by ‘Leo’ due to his prowling like a lion nature, hunting down perfect roles and castings and how he’d always go directly for the kill with no mercy. He’d gone for the kill that night, trying to wring ‘Ken’s’ neck.

 

Somehow word had got out, probably Jaehwan’s fault, and it became a small story that became a larger story that became embraced as fact. Taekwoon was going by ‘Leo’. He still didn’t know why he hadn’t protested such nonsense. Probably because it was easier to accept than to try and clear up all the misunderstanding surrounding it. He didn’t hate the name, over time he may have come to enjoy it even. ‘Leo’ was the one who did the interviews and promotionals and mandatory appearances. Taekwoon could just be Taekwoon.

 

The Victory Theatre was a sight to behold. Old, but not in the way of decrepit disrepair, instead this was more akin to a gleaming testament of classic luxury. The building had passed through many hands but had generally always been a center for the arts. On a street where glass and chrome and LED screens dominated nearly every building, the hand carved stone columns and arches of the theatre stood out, a point taken out of time and as if in reverence the other buildings seemed to give it space where space was a commodity too rich for most. And there was some quality that he couldn’t quite place that came with performing on the stage there, something that the new theatres with their sleek designs and technological stages couldn’t quite capture.

 

Inside the splendor continued with lots of deep rich woods and creamy fabric upholstery. That was one of the many reasons that “Once Forgotten, Twice Removed” was playing in the Victory theatre for its debut. Like the theatre itself, the story belonged to a time past when organized crime was at it’s most ‘glamorous’ for lack of a better word. Taekwoon had been attracted to lead role, with all its complexities. Park Jihoon was a ruthless man, who didn’t quibble over the rules that governed the average man. He was driven and cunning and competitive, nothing was going to stop him from succeeding. But on the other side he did everything for the love of his family, to keep his father safe and to safeguard the future for his children. No one would say his actions were excusable but his motive was understandable. Of course that gets thrown all to hell in act two when it turns out a member of his gang was his younger half brother born from the same mother who had abandoned Jihoon at birth and he had vowed to never have dealings with.

 

Taekwoon liked these roles though, filled with such complexities and passion. He could slip into it, let his own passion for music fill him with the right emotions to portray the same fire inside his character. For him, it wasn’t about the fame like Jaehwan seemed to love, or about the money though he hardly said no to his paychecks, it was the love of the music. The truest expression of thought and feeling. He’d been offered jobs in film, nothing big but the opportunity had been there to try and make the cross over into movies. It wasn’t the same though, and Taekwoon had always declined. The music was what pulled it together for him, that was where he found the drive to make the rest of his work fall into place.

 

Morning rehearsals started slow, people running late or make up and hair were taking longer than planned, that’s why they had dress rehearsals though. Taekwoon was ready though, hair swept back from his face, fit in a well tailored pinstripe suit, he sat in his office chair set piece on stage waiting for the others to join him. A well worn and used script laid on the desk next to him, just in case he felt the need to refresh on any of his lines.

 

“Taekwoon-ah,” a fellow actor strolled over to sit on the edge of the desk. Kim Woobin was new into the musical world, after a successful career as a film actor he’d moved into the world of live theatre. “Would you take me through a few scenes, I wanted to practice more.” Woobin was playing the role of Kim Joonyong, a corrupt cop who turns on Jihoon at the end of act one, but was also the understudy to the lead role.

 

“Mmmm,” Taekwoon merely nodded and reached for his script before a loud clapping noise drew his attention. The theatre manager, Hakyeon, strolled on stage with his cheery smile and gestured for those there to come to him. Behind him the rest of the morning cast came filing in, clearly he’d gone to round them up as well before drawing everyone to the stage.

 

“Good morning,” he called out as the group semi circled him, leaving the orchestra pit with a clear view so the musicians could hear the announcement too. “Ah, look at everyone in their costumes, this just makes me even more excited for our opening. It’s so close!” A brief smatterings of replies or claps came from the assembled group. “We’re so proud of you for working so hard. All of you have really shown your dedication.” Hakyeon’s enthusiasm was palpable, excitement thrumming through the air. It was annoying.

 

Taekwoon instead of listening, chose to review the scenes he’d be working on that morning, eyes flicking around the circle of gathered actors and actresses. Two scenes with Jaehwan, who played Jihoon’s second in command. Two scenes with Yoona, her role was as Jihoon’s loving wife and silent accomplice. A minor but important scene with Himchan, his role being a budding new comer to Jihoon’s gang but would later turn out to be his brother. And the act one end scene with Woobin. 

 

“...don’t go anywhere during lunch…” Taekwoon frowned as he caught snips and pieces of the manager’s speech. But he wanted to get coffee during lunch. “...special catering…” Oh was that all? He’d rather go, catering meant that everyone would be gathered together to eat, which meant conversation. No. “...smile but act natural for the camera…” Right the BTS documentary, that explained the sudden pep talk. “...don’t forget the promo photoshoot this afternoon…” How many of those were they going to have to go through. “Taekwoonie, are you listening!?”

 

The piercing tone of the last question drilled through Taekwoon’s thoughts. Hakyeon had his fists on his hips and was staring pointedly at him, a pout unbefitting a man of his station on his lips. Though he seemed mollified by a slight nod of Taekwoon’s head, continuing on in his speech where he’d left off.

 

When it was finally time for lunch, Taekwoon was beat. They’d had a few prop malfunctions and a couple of slip ups, but it had gone well enough. A desk needed repairs, a chair’s wheel had come loose, and his prop gun had jammed which had led to one extremely long and exaggerated death scene to close the morning. After that he’d had a brief interview for some magazine, or maybe newspaper, he wasn’t sure. It had, thankfully, gone by quickly with a few quietly muttered words about the production.

 

He had to time his escape perfectly, the videographers were arriving and so were the caterers. Hakyeon had practically stationed himself at the exit to make sure that ‘everyone enjoyed the nutritious meal’ but what he meant was ‘you can’t escape our cameras’. Taekwoon waited until the right moment, Jaehwan approached Hakyeon and that was all the time he needed. Rather than try and be sneaky about it, he just barreled along past the two talking before the manager had a chance to reach out and latch onto him. He left the theatre to the sound of Hakyeon’s shouting both threats and bribes at him to come back.

 

There was no easy way to the coffee shop from the theatre. It was much farther than walking distance, there wasn’t a direct subway line to it, and Taekwoon didn’t have a vehicle of his own. Most days that he decided to go he just took a cab. He’d only found the place by accident. That part of town wasn’t a spot he frequented often but there’d been a studio there he’d considered using for recording. That had been a bust but when he’d dropped into the quaint shop for coffee he’d been more than satisfied with their brew and maybe a little intrigued by the smirking blue haired man who’d given it to him.

 

It was a slow process, he didn’t plan to go back. It was quite out of his way, after all. But then a lazy sunday had turned into a trip to the cafe, just because he was curious how many subway trains it would take. And then it had been that he was already half way there on another errand, he might as well stop by for a latte. Excuses piled up until it had just become a regular part of most of his days. Plus the coffee was truly excellent there.

 

The blue haired coffee boy wasn’t always there though, mornings he was never there but after that his schedule became sporadic. Not that Taekwoon was paying attention to such details, he was there for the coffee. If he didn’t go in the mornings anymore it was entirely to do with his own busy schedule.

 

He wasn’t stupid. He knew that that wasn’t true, the same way he knew that the barista was interested in him. At first he’d taken it for being a friendly nature, which he did seem to have from what Taekwoon had observed. Everyone who worked there all got along with him, the customers liked him, but he didn’t miss the way those slightly sleepy looking eyes would sharpen when he saw Taekwoon, or the way he’d been fishing for a name for a month at least, or sometimes how the tips of his ears would turn slightly red when he turned to look at Taekwoon and found the man already looking at him.

 

But he didn’t even know this guy, and maybe that was some of the charm of it too. What if he turned out to be insufferable? Or he really was just being friendly and was in a long time committed relationship. It wasn’t that Taekwoon didn’t have room for friends in his life he was just very choosy with the ones he took. Looking was nice, pretending that maybe they’d have something they could relate to over was also nice, but the facts were he was intrigued by the curiosity and mystery of him, what happened after those were gone? And while he at times debated letting the blue haired boy come speak to him, logic won out over desire and he’d leave the shop before he got the chance.

 

It didn’t stop him from coming back though, over and over, to tease that niggling itch that wondered what they’d talk about if they ever did. Because Taekwoon was such a star at conversation, he thought ruefully to himself. The casually noisy din of the coffee shop engulfed him as he stepped in out of the cold. Already he could see the wispy strands of blue hair peeking out between heads of the people in line.

 

But it was a girl at the register, and Taekwoon could just see the coffee boy working their espresso machine behind her. Quietly he recited his order to her, not really looking away from the other man though. She asked for a name and he shook his head, as normal while she plastered on a smile and keyed in the order for a receipt. He didn’t wait for her to recite the cost, instead slipping the amount across the counter.

 

Before she had a chance to direct him he was already moving toward the service counter. It was with a twinge of satisfaction that he saw the coffee boy’s head jerk up and his eyes scan the room. Taekwoon didn’t try to avert his gaze, choosing to meet the other man’s head on. They widened ever so slightly before crinkling a little as the man gave a bemused smile. His head ducked back down and he continued working but something felt a little tight in Taekwoon’s chest.

 

“Double shot latte to go!” Taekwoon was already at the counter but didn’t mind the loud timbre of the other’s voice. There wasn’t enough time to stay and observe that day, but it felt good to be there at least for this. “It’s good to see you again.” Taekwoon froze and just stared intently at the blue haired man. A faint color rose on the other’s cheeks and it felt like they just stood there staring for a minute, though it must have been shorter.

 

“Yes.” Taekwoon’s quiet voice carried across the short space between them and a small smile spread over him before he was taking his cup with the insufferably cute cat’s face art on the top and leaving.


	6. Chapter 6

“You’re my brother! I thought family meant something to you. Isn’t that what has always pushed you! How could I not show my face to you once I knew. I’ve done everything you’ve wanted, everything you’ve asked of me. I’ve hurt people because of you, I’ve stolen because of you, I’ve killed a man because of you!” Himchan was impassioned as he strode across the stage, finger pointed accusingly at Taekwoon, emotion raw on his face, the music began to swell as he took on his role of Jihoon’s younger brother Jieun, who half killed himself to impress Jihoon.

 

“You’re not my brother,” Taekwoon’s voice was as cold as the winter’s night air. He rose from behind the desk on stage and met the younger man center stage. “You’re just some bastard who shares the most unfortunate part of my genetics. Now, this is the one kindness I’ll offer you for the sake of blood: get out. Get out and flee with your life before you see first hand just what happens to people who displease me.”

 

Tears welled up in the younger actor’s eyes, his voice choked with them. “I won’t be gone forever,  _ hyung _ .” The words were meant as a brave facade but the crackle of his voice betrayed the hurt the character felt as he ran off stage. Voices rose to sing of the sad tale of a family split, of love and betrayal and regret. Taekwoon lost himself in his own solo part, the desperate cry of a man whose heart and mind were at war with one another. Pleading for the knowledge to do what was best for the ones he’d protect and himself.

 

The music gave way to soft violins as Jaehwan entered from the right, voice soothing as he sang his part. Shifting the focus of the scene to the brewing turf war between Jihoon’s gang and another. Taekwoon reached for the gun on the desk, “It ends tonight, one way or another. I’m finished being kind. We’ll drown them in their own blood before morning’s light.” As the lights dimmed and the music slowed he could hear the applause start from the staff at the side.

 

The director clapped happily and even whistled  as he walked onto the stage, the lights coming back up. “We don’t have time to hit the last scene since our esteemed Manager Hakyeon has reminded me that we’re already running late for a photoshoot, but that was excellent work everyone. Very excellent! Tomorrow we’ll pick up from this scene and then spend time working on a few smaller parts that could use some extra attention but we are looking so good for opening night.”

 

Everyone clapped and bowed to each other, congratulating each other on jobs well done but Taekwoon knew his day wasn’t over just yet. The afternoon photoshoot. Why did they even need to have another one? There had already been so many. But by the way Hakyeon had come buzzing around the stage at 5:10, there wouldn’t be a way to avoid this one at all. He could only hope that it was going to be the last of them.

 

Taekwoon made his way backstage to his private dressing room. A blessing that he hadn’t asked for but had been more than pleased to receive. Jaehwan had made so many protests about how no one else had a solo dressing room. Many of them. Loudly. Followed by trying to wheedle his way into sharing the nice space with Taekwoon but had only been turned down time and time again. It had made Taekwoon laugh softly when he’d seen the overly dramatic and exaggerated star poster that said “Ken” in large bold letters hung on one of the communal changing rooms.

 

It wasn’t even that much to be jealous of. He had a closet for his costumes, and a long counter with a matching length mirror along one wall. A couch to rest on and a make up chair for the stylists to do touch ups on him during intermission and quick scene breaks. He’d insisted on adding a changing screen as well so that he didn’t have to boot everyone out of the room while he changed costumes. Most importantly though, there was the blessed quiet at the end of the day.

 

Hanging from the handle of the closet was one of the suits he wore for the show. A deep charcoal with smoke gray pinstripes. A sticky note was attached to the hangar, ‘Pick me! Pick me!’. Taekwoon could only roll his eyes at the ridiculous note but took the suit off the handle anyhow. He changed quickly knowing that make up and hair would be in shortly to make sure he was presentable for the photographer. Yet another round of standing slightly at an angle and staring down the lens of a camera in front of some neutral toned backdrop. Too bright lights shining in his face. Hopefully it’d be over soon.

 

The main cast gathered at the second level balcony of the theatre’s lobby. Yoona, Jaehwan, and Himchan all stood near the railing, looking down into the grand space below, an obvious play for the videographer standing below. Hakyeon and the director were huddled together near a few of the lighting fixtures, from the tone of their hushed voices they were arguing over something. And in the center of it all was a young man looking both slightly bewildered and slightly lost. Something about him had Taekwoon stopping in his tracks to take a closer look.

 

Soft brown hair that just brushed the tops of his eyebrows, a straight nose, strong jaw and wide deep eyes. He was handsome, too handsome, Taekwoon didn’t like it, didn’t like that he couldn't stop looking. The man’s lower lip disappeared into his mouth as he chewed on it and Taekwoon caught himself doing a similar action and stopped immediately. Dressed in black slacks, a black shirt with sleeves rolled to his elbows and a gray waistcoat, he had a camera slung around his neck and it was then that Taekwoon realized he must be the photographer. This was not the same man as they’d been seeing for all their previous promotionals. This young man looked nervous, anxious, and out of place. His gaze switched between looking at the floor to the wide windows that gave a view of the city.

 

Until those wide doe eyes moved and landed on Taekwoon. If at all possible they grew wider yet and he blinked a few times his mouth forming into a soft ‘o’ before trying to stare at the ground like he hadn’t made eye contact. Taekwoon merely stood where he was, watching, observing as the photographer shuffled his feet a few times before looking back up with caution and a tinge of red on his cheeks. Using wary and soft steps, he approached Taekwoon before stopping a few paces from him and bowing.

 

“Hello,” his voice was surprisingly deep for such a sweet face, “I’m Lee Hongbin, I’ll be your photographer today.” He bowed again and Taekwoon gave a small dip in return. “I will do my best to only produce good results.” A smile broke out on his face that had dimples popping out of no where and it felt like he could light up the room with it and Taekwoon somehow felt his own lips slitting into a grin in return. Something in his brain told him that he needed to step back now, before this young man could infect him further. 

 

“Leo-ssi,” his escape was thwarted, “I..” the photographer, Hongbin, was chewing on his lip again for a moment, “I’m a big fan of your work, it’s an honor to get to meet you.” He bowed once more than seemed to flee much in the way Taekwoon had been planning to do. Purposefully he schooled his face back into a blank slate, why had he smiled? That was hardly the first handsome man that had smiled at him, and Leo hated not being in control of his own actions. Clearly this Hongbin was a danger.

 

“Ah! Leo-hyung! Over here!!” Jaehwan motioned him over to where the rest of the stars were standing. “Come say hi to the camera!” And there wasn’t a thing he wanted to do less than say hello to a camera, but he made his way there if only to try and escape the boy with the dimples. The line was drawn at waving to the camera though. “Come on, hyung.” Jaehwan chided but was met with only blank stares.

 

“Oh, Taekwoonie’s here, finally,” Hakyeon gave a dramatic sigh and buzzed his way around the room wrangling everyone up so they would all have to listen to him, his favorite pass time. “This will be our final shoot before opening night,” one of the videographers circled around the whole group, “so let’s make it memorable. Hongbinnie,” the manager gestured to the boy with the camera, “will be shooting for us, and we’re going to try to be in character for this one, okay?”

 

“Ah, I had an idea…” the photographer started but then stopped, leaning back to try and draw less attention to himself. He flashed a nervous smile at the group and ducked his head, “never mind, sorry for interrupting.” Taekwoon eyed the young man with curiosity, what had the boy wanted to say?

 

They shot on the second balcony using the grand wood work of the theatre as their backdrop. It was made more difficult by the fact that there was not only the handsome camera man who seemed to run on a nervous sort of energy but also the videographers who filmed every aspect of the shoot, and that Taekwoon had to give a lot more thought into dropping into character without the music. He posed with each member of the cast individually and a few as a group. At least a cold glare was easier for him to conjure than anything else, and that was still ‘in character’.

 

By the time the were finishing up the sun was just starting to set and the pretty photographer kept staring out of the stories tall windows of the theatre. It felt like there was something just there under the surface that he wanted to get out, and Taekwoon would kick himself later for approaching him. “Lee Hongbin-ssi,” his quiet voice jolted the young man and he then froze. “What did you want to say earlier?”

 

It took a few moments for him to answer, Taekwoon watched as emotions ran across Hongbin’s face. Shock, disbelief, embarrassment, before settling on an awkward sort of quiet. “Ah, it wasn’t…” he shifted on his feet a little before glancing back outside at the setting sun. “Does this building have rooftop access?”

 

Taekwoon had to blink a few times because that wasn’t what he was expecting at all. He nodded once and the other boy’s eyes seemed to light up with excitement. “Leo-ssi,” Hongbin pulled back from the rail by the window and pranced back, a wide grin showing off his dimples again. They made him look too cute, Taekwoon didn’t like it. “Will you show me? I want to take your photo up there. That was my idea.” In Taekwoon’s opinion that didn’t explain a whole lot but then again he wasn’t a photographer. Rather than answer, he started leaving the area hoping that Hongbin would catch on and follow.

 

Silently, he led him to the access stairs and they made their way up, the clap of loafers on stone steps the only noise. He could all but feel the young man behind him vibrating with something, excitement maybe? Was this idea so good? They reached the roof access door eventually and Taekwoon pushed it open to be slightly blinded by the sun’s falling form, he held up an arm to block the light.

 

Hongbin, however, rushed out from behind him, looking all around him for something, moving from place to place and checking the view. There was a certain urgency to the way he moved around, bringing up his camera to check something or other. “Leo-ssi,” he beckoned toward Taekwoon and pointed to a spot against the base of a stone spire. “Would you stand there please, look out toward the city as your character.” There was an implied but unsaid ‘hurry’ along with it, and Taekwoon could finally see why, the sun seemed to be sinking quickly, the day fading into night.

 

Getting into character quickly was a little harder, and Taekwoon started singing a few lines from one of his solo songs to try and get into Jihoon’s mind faster. The city was his, it always was going to be his. He owned it, maybe the people didn’t realize it, but they were all pawns belonging to him. Pride, because he’d spent years planning and building and now it had come to fruition. His stance adjusted, legs widening like he could straddle the world, his jaw tilted up just so slightly in challenge, while one hand slipped into his pocket, concealed and the other straightened his tie.

 

He could hear the sound of the shutter going off a million miles a minute, but he didn’t look toward it. Instead he let Hongbin work around him, and the photographer did. He moved from different positions on the roof, getting different angles and different snatches of skyline in the background. This was different from the session they’d had inside the theatre. Then Hongbin had felt like shot nerves and anxiety but here there was a more relaxed but energetic feeling even though that made approximately zero sense. It wasn’t terrible, Taekwoon decided, but he  didn’t approve of the way his chest ached softly.

 

As the last rays of sunlight disappeared Taekwoon’s hand phone started buzzing in his pocket. Hongbin looked up from behind his lens his wide eyes blinked a few times before he hunched his shoulders apologetically and lowered the camera. “I think I got everything. Sorry, I didn’t realize how cold it was” he glanced toward Taekwoon with a shy smirk. How could someone forget how cold it was when their breath visibly puffed in front of them, Taekwoon thought derisively, but kept it to himself.

 

The message on his phone was from Jaehwan:

 

**_DID YOU LEAVE ALREADY? YOU DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING BUT EVERYONE ELSE IS GONE AND YOUR DRESSING ROOM IS EMPTY. THANKS FOR TELLING ME NOT TO WAIT FOR YOU~! IF YOU NEED A RIDE TEXT ME IN FIVE SECONDS!_ **

 

Everyone else must have packed up for the day. Taekwoon stared at the message for longer than five seconds, he could always catch a cab. And he’d never  _ told _ Jaehwan to wait for him. “Is everything okay, Leo-ssi?” Hongbin was huddled in on himself, his bare forearms wrapped across his chest to try and keep in heat. Had this idiot forgotten to bring a jacket? Taekwoon nodded and made for the door to the access door with the young man following behind him.

 

The theatre seemed to echo more knowing that it was just the two of them left there. Taekwoon was relieved that the lights were still on but he wasn’t sure if they operated on motion sensors or timers so he didn’t want to tarry long. Trailing after him, Hongbin seemed much quieter than he had on their way up despite not saying anything either time. Something possessed Taekwoon to speak, probably those giant doe eyes, “Lee Hongbin-ssi,” like every time he’d said something to the other man he froze on the spot so Taekwoon paused as well, “That was a good idea, be sure to show Manager Hakyeon those.” A faint red glow filled the photographer’s cheeks. “And don’t keep your ideas to yourself.”

 

“Ah yes, Leo-ssi, thank you,” the boy replied after a few stunned moments but Taekwoon had already started walking down the steps again. The patter of feet told him that the other was running down to catch up. “Leo-ssi,” the photographer didn’t stop so neither did Taekwoon. “I did have another idea…”

 

Hongbin couldn’t quite believe what was happening to him. Already he’d pinched himself, a lot, he might have drawn blood. He needed to find a new place to pinch on his arm. But there he was, and there  _ he  _ was, with him at a small night club that was only so many steps up from a bar. Jung Leo sat across from him, face turned down to watch the people dancing on the floor below.  The atmosphere was right for the pictures Hongbin wanted, hazy from the simulated environments but no too stamped with technology to detract from the supposed era Leo’s character was supposed to be from.

 

A part of his mind, the part in shock and that was largely non functioning couldn’t believe that this was truly happening. It just rolled on the floor of his brain and giggled madly like a teenager in love. It was so hard not to get distracted when he looked through his viewfinder and saw that face in his frame. He was even more breathtaking up close and in person than any tv interview could make him out to be. Hongbin just knew that he was going to wake up from this dream and somebody help him, he’d probably cling to Ravi and sob from the want of it. Except Ravi was going to be late that night at a rap battle, so he’d have to settle with his pillow to sob into.

 

But he just kept on dreaming, since the vision he was living in never stopped. It had been with an extremely cautious mind that he’d suggested coming to a club to take another round of photos. He’d read up on the novel the musical was based on during his work earlier in the day, and one of the key settings had been a club the main character had owned. Now, it was like putting the man in the right space, it just fit. It amazed him that Leo had agreed to it though. He’d even ordered drinks for them with only a quiet mild stare when Hongbin had blustered about not meaning to do that when he’d asked him to go with him. That was a disturbing pattern in his life.

 

The bottles of soju and the cup made an excellent prop though, so Hongbin didn’t protest too much. It was just a couple of drinks, how bad could it be? But a couple turned into another bottle, and then another, and another. Hongbin had stopped taking pictures long before they reached their 6th bottle of soju. But they didn’t talk either, just sat there in relative silence while they cleared away drink after drink. “Leo-ssi,” his voice was clear, enough. For someone who’d drank as much as he did he should have been sounding much worse, “are you feeling alright? You look a little…” Hongbin didn’t want to say hammered but well the evidence was there. He’d been waiting for Leo to announce that they were done so he could stop drinking. A long time ago he and Ravi had discovered that he had a steel constitution when it came to alcohol.

 

But Leo just kept ordering bottles and every time Hongbin would pour them both a drink and finish his, Leo would determinedly stare at him (getting less and less clear as the night went on) and down his as well. It finally dawned on Hongbin that it was a competition to the older man, by that point Leo was only drinking after Hongbin had finished his. “Ah, Leo-ssi, I think I’m done.” he tried to slur his words purposefully to seem drunk but honestly from the way Leo was looking he wouldn’t even remember.

 

A small sort of triumphant smirk ticked up Leo’s lips before he slumped down against the table and Hongbin both wanted to giggle and worry at the same time. “Leo-ssi?” He got up and went around to the other side of the table to check on him. “Leo-ssi?” All efforts to prop him up ended in failure, Leo was playing at being dead weight. “Aish, Hongbin you idiot. You got him drunk.” He winced at himself and then lifted one of Leo’s arms to go over his shoulder. “Leo-ssi--”

 

“You’re handsome.” the soft voice was barely audible but it relieved Hongbin to know he was still awake. “I don’t like it…” The tips of his ears were burning with heat at the words, even with the claim of not liking it, Leo thought he was attractive.

 

“I’m sorry, Leo-ssi, I’ll try and exist less handsomely,” Hongbin couldn’t help but smirk to himself and close his eyes to just bask in the glow of such an odd compliment. “You’re handsome too,” he added, confident that there wasn’t any way Leo would remember this conversation later, “but I like it.” He chuckled to himself until he felt warm lips rub against his. Hongbin’s eyes were blown wide as he looked to see that Leo had tipped his face up to capture Hongbin’s lips, a soft brush of flesh that tasted of the sweet soju they’d been drinking. Panicked, he didn’t react but neither did he try and displace the smashed singer. He could feel the blunt tips of Leo’s teeth sink into his lower lip and nearly moaned on the spot.

 

Before he could put a stop to it though, Leo’s head fell away and down to hang against his own chest. “Don’t like it…” came the soft murmur before what could only be the sound of light snores. Hongbin could only sit there, heart hammering in his chest, for a few moments. That… that definitely wasn’t what he’d had planned. He kept waiting for the other man to wake and accuse him of all manner of vile things but it seemed like Leo was out for the count.

 

“Leo-ssi,” Hongbin tried to shake him awake but it wasn’t doing any good. What was he supposed to do? He had no idea where Leo lived and he very well couldn’t just leave him passed out at a club. Maybe if he checked his hand phone or wallet for an address? But that seemed so intrusive. Carefully he pulled Leo onto his back and set down the money for their drinks on the table. There was only one thing to do.

 

Hongbin’s face cringed in embarrassment as he set the singer down on his bed. Leo was still well and truly gone, sprawled out exactly where Hongbin had put him. Of all the dreams he’d had about having Jung Leo in his bed, this was never one of them. Sighing, he carefully removed the singer’s jacket and shoes before pulling the covers out from under him and then over him. There was no way he was going to be able to explain this. How was it that he ruined everything he reached out to try and do? The only consolation was that it was a friday night which meant Ravi wasn’t home yet from his rap get together. He’d have to explain this to him too.

 

Brushing the hair out of Leo’s face, he smiled sadly down at him. “I’m sorry,” he muttered quietly before exiting the bedroom and letting the door whoosh shut behind him. Tacking a note onto the bedroom door that read “QUARANTINE! NO RAVIS ALLOWED! (Sleep on the couch with me tonight, okay? I’ll explain later.)”, Hongbin retreated to the bathroom to change his clothes to pajamas and washed his face.It took a little maneuvering to drag the coffee table out of the way and pull out their couch bed that hadn’t seen use in such a very long time. It seemed like the mattress was a warped shape to match how it had been crammed inside the mechanism. No doubt there were springs a plenty waiting to jab at him. “You deserve this, Hongbin…” he muttered morosely before throwing the spare blanket and pillows onto the bed and crawling onto the lumpy mattress to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

How had they forgot to close the blinds? Hongbin’s eyes winced shut but it wasn’t enough to block out the morning sun, the glow of it penetrating through his eyelids to make it all too bright inside his own head. An arm and leg wrapped over his waist and thigh, no doubt belonging to Ravi, ensured that he couldn’t turn away from the light. Some amount of relief shot through him that they were already back to the normal, on that front at least. After the recent pepero game and what could only be called the most awkward not kiss ever, he’d been worried. But it seemed even that sort of slip couldn’t stop the hug monster. In all honesty, he’d have missed it sorely if Ravi ever stopped.

 

Still, that only meant that he was trapped, trapped awake on a Saturday morning when he should have been sleeping as late as his idiot roommate. Who, of course, had his face buried into Hongbin’s back, safe guarded from the evils of the pre-emptive waking. Not that anything really got through that sleepy brain, but it wasn’t fair on the principle of the matter.

 

Fight it, Hongbin, he mentally encouraged himself to return to sleep, it’s just the sun.

 

Wasn’t it?

 

Something else felt off, almost as if a pin was sticking him in the side. Or, more accurately, there was a pin sticking him in the side. Constricted as he was by one very snuggly roommate, he tried to shift away from the offending point. Jeez, it wasn’t like he was sleeping on the… couch…

 

His eyes popped open while a rush of memories from the previous night crashed through his mind with no care for his body that only wanted to shrivel in on itself at the thoughts. It was then he became aware that he and Ravi weren’t the only two in the living room. Sensing a presence (maybe  _ that _ had been the reason he woke), his head swiveled to look down the mattress. 

 

Standing at the foot of the bed, where the door to the bedroom was situated on the wall, was someone that Hongbin would have normally considered a figment of his imagination. Leo’s eyes were wide, more wide than Hongbin thought they could get, nearly popping out of his head as he just stared down at the two of them. His mouth hung slightly open and stayed that way even as their eyes met, both shocked to see what they saw.

 

Neither of them blinked.

 

“L-Leo-ssi,” Hongbin whispered, but the other man had finally regained control of his motor functions, slight color washing his cheeks and his mouth snapped shut into a furious line. He promptly turned on his heel and strolled back into the bedroom to escape, the door swishing shut, his note for Ravi still hanging there. Though Hongbin couldn’t imagine why, there wasn’t an exit in there unless he was keen on trying to scale down the outside of their building, and he must have had a major hangover.

 

Extracting himself from Ravi was even harder than normal. Not only was he in a hurry, but Ravi seemed even more determined to latch onto him (probably subconsciously aware of the sun), plus there was still that spring that gleefully jabbed into him when he turned wrong. There was a bit of a wrestle as he struggled out of the iron grip of his roommate and slipped his pillow into the man’s naked arms. Of course he wasn’t wearing a shirt that morning, it would figure that would be the case. The one night there’s someone in the apartment and Ravi just strips down to his boxers. Your own fault Hongbin, his mind reminded him, your note told him he couldn’t retrieve his pajamas from the closet in the bedroom.

 

Tossing the covers over Ravi, he shut the blinds to hopefully make sure his friend stayed asleep. It was going to be hard enough speaking with Leo about this, adding trying to explain it to Ravi as well and it became way too much. Yet somehow that bedroom door seemed awfully large and far away suddenly. Hongbin chewed on his bottom lip and stared at it. He knew that Leo was in there, but then he also remembered that Hongbin was probably the last person he wanted to see at the moment.

 

But he couldn’t just let him stay in there all day. They were gonna need clothes eventually, and it wasn’t fair to Leo to not at least try and explain what happened. No, this was something he had to do, his resolve straightened up.

 

So why was he trembling so much?

 

But when he approached the door it merely buzzed angrily at him. “Omo,” Hongbin blinked a few times at the still shut door confused for a moment and then his brows narrowed down into a ‘v’. The door was locked. He had actually locked the door, what the hell was he supposed to do now? “Leo-ssi…” he said quietly at the door knowing that despite the barrier he could be heard in the other room. “Please unlock the door.”

 

A sound like rustling filtered through the door, and Hongbin could almost picture Leo turning away from the door on the bed (his bed) glaring at the opposite wall. “Leo-ssi, please let me explain.” But what was there to explain really? He’d got him drunk to the point that he’d been willing to kiss a stranger. The memory of it made his lips tingle in a strange sort of betrayal by his body. Traitor.

 

“Coffee.”

 

Hongbin blinked a few times again wondering if he’d heard correctly, glancing behind him to the softly snoring Ravi. No, it hadn’t been him so then it must have been Leo. “Err, what was that?”

 

“Coffee.” The response didn’t change at all.

 

The giggle started before he could stop it. Hongbin had to press a fist to his mouth to keep it from spilling out to wake the dead. It wasn’t even that funny, but with the stress of the morning it was either laugh or cry. Laughter was the order of the day. “Y-yes,” he managed without letting the cracks break the dam holding back his giggles and started toward their kitchen grabbing his phone on the way. Somehow, he didn’t think Jung Leo would approve of the rice and fish he and Ravi had breakfast on a regular basis.

 

Taekwoon stared at one point on the shabbily painted wall, stared so hard that he might burn a hole right through it with the laser point precision he was using. His head was pounding, his throat was dry, there was sand paper behind his eyeballs that scraped at the delicate membrane every time he moved them, and also the hot blue haired coffee boy and the handsome photographer with dimples, together, in bed, spooning. Fuck.

 

Whatever he had been expecting when he woke in that foreign room, nothing could have prepared him for the sight he saw upon exiting. The hair had tipped him off, as if he weren’t already dizzy enough, his entire view had pulled hard to the left when he saw the fluffy mess of light blue hair, and that face he knew all too well attached to it, gorgeous nose pressed into the nape of another’s neck. A neck connected to the offensively attractive face of the one he’d shared drinks with the night before. From what he could see, the coffee server had his arm wrapped around the photographer over the covers and he didn’t miss the way the brown haired boy curled his hand to rest and partially intertwine with the other’s.

 

There was nothing for Taekwoon to do but escape back into the small respite that was the extremely cramped bedroom when he’d been caught staring. Logical deduction said that this was their place,  _ their _ place, his mind grinded and groaned with the effort of trying to remember how he’d got there. Hongbin had wanted to do more photos at a club, to evoke the feel of the old world crime life. They’d gone, it was awkward when the servers looked at them strange so Taekwoon had ordered drinks for them. Yes, he could remember all of that. Then they’d had a few more, it was starting to get less clear. He could vaguely remember a competition, did they play a game? It was fuzzy. He was fairly certain it was Hongbin’s fault though. Especially since the other had the nerve to look almost as fresh faced as he did the previous day.

 

Something else was there too, just beyond the reach of his thoughts but he couldn’t make the memory come into focus. Why did he have such a low tolerance for alcohol? He must have passed out, that was the only explanation why he woke in someone else’s bed and not his own. Well, woke alone at least.

 

“Leo-ssi,” there was a soft tap at the door and Taekwoon could recognize the scent of coffee on the air. “I brought you a cup of coffee, will you please open the door?” He wanted to open it but that required moving which made his head spin. Slowly, carefully, he shifted his legs off the bed and shuffled to the door, swiping along the touch pad that would unlock the opening mechanism.

 

Hongbin led with the cup of coffee and slid through door quietly with it. Those doe eyes of his widened as he took in the sight of Taekwoon. He must have looked as rough as he felt. “Taekwoon,“ he muttered wincing at the harsh sound of his own voice.

 

“What?” Confusion was written across the face of the photographer.

 

“My name is Taekwoon.” This definitely hadn’t classified as his professional life and he didn’t like hearing ‘Leo’ when it wasn’t. Without another word, he plucked the cup from the other’s hands and drank deeply while taking his spot back on the bed, standing was too much effort. It shouldn’t have surprised him that it was the same blend from the Coffee House, but it did. Another reminder of just what he’d seen that had him scowling.

 

“Is it okay, Taekwoon-ssi?” It sounded like he was testing out Taekwoon’s name, giving it a brief once over verbally. His own narrow eyes flicked up from the cup to stare just over the rim at Hongbin, at least he caught on quick enough. So, he nodded once. “Good” the boy smiled brightly, pleased with that apparently. It was too early in the morning and Taekwoon was too hungover for those dimples to be showing up, his defense was too low. Especially as the boy crawled on the opposite end of the mattress from him and sat cross legged, his tank top giving a much too inviting look at his chest and arms.

 

“Who is that?” Taekwoon changed the subject and focused his eyes back on the dark liquid in his cup. Safer that way. Plus it was a subject he had a rather keen interest in, not that Hongbin would ever know.

 

“Oh,” the other man dipped his head to glance down at the comforter trying to hide his face, “that’s my roommate. Don’t think anything weird, okay? We’ve been friends since we were kids so…” The way he trailed off made Taekwoon wonder though.

 

“What’s his name?” It was probably playing pretty unfairly that he’d learn the coffee boy’s name before ever giving his own considering the extent of any of their communication.

 

“Kim Wons-- I mean Kim Ravi.” Taekwoon’s brows rose slightly at the adjustment. “It’s his nickname when he raps.” Hongbin added helpfully with a proud grin plastered across his face. It must have been important to one or both of them. A rapper, huh? He took another deep sip from the cup. It wasn’t what he expected, but he didn’t know what to expect with the mysterious barista in the first place. When he thought about it, and thinking still kind of made his brain throb against his skull, the cafe worker’s deep voice would suit rapping well.

 

“Hongbinnie?” as if on cue, it called out from the other room. “Is it safe yet? Is the quarantine over?” The door to the bedroom slid open and the subject in question strolled in wearing nothing but black boxer shorts and a sleepy look on his face, arms stretched high over his head giving Taekwoon an unmitigated view of every raw cut curve and dip of the man’s chest and abs and jesus, his legs. He nearly choked on the coffee that now seemed to be scalding his throat.

 

Their eyes met, wide meeting surprised, before someone was screaming. By the way it made his head pound, Taekwoon couldn’t tell who it was.


	8. Chapter 8

Someone was yelling, no screaming, the screeching echoed and bounced against the walls of the room. It took Ravi a couple seconds to realize it was him, but that didn’t stop him. There was no choice in the matter, to not scream would be to not see, and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the person lying on the bed,  _ his _ bed. It was a moment stuck in time, maybe even on infinite loop, the more he saw the more he yelled until a pillow came flying toward his face and knocked into it with a soft  _ fwoomp _ . And for once it hadn’t been Hongbin that had thrown it.

 

His roommate looked just as shocked as he did, mouth agape and huge eyes darting back and forth between himself and  _ him _ .  _ This  _ was his quarantine!? Unbelieveable! Slapping one hand onto Hongbin’s wrist and one over his own eyes, Ravi started dragging his friend from the room. A chorus of ‘what are you doing?’, ‘at least grab some clothes!’, and ‘I can explain!!’ followed him as he reached out with his feet to be sure he didn’t run into the wall or the pull out couch mattress directly in the living room. He didn’t dare remove his hand from his eyes until he heard the soft glide of the bedroom door shutting and they were safely out.

 

“Hongbin-ah!” Ravi started, eyes wild and nearly wheeling with urgency. “Hongbin-ah, I need you to take me to see a specialist, right away. I think I’m sick. I feel sick. Do I feel hot?” He lifted his own clammy hand to press against his face, the blush on his cheeks had ignited his skin with heat. “I feel hot. I must have a fever. I have a fever and I’m delusional. What sort of infection did you bring into our room! I thought you were joking about the quarantine, but now I’m sick.” Something much like panic was bubbling up Ravi’s throat. “Hongbin-ah, why are you laughing?! I’m serious, your infection got me sick! I need help.”

 

In his hour of need, what was his so-called best friend doing? Clutching his sides and laughing until tears leaked from his stupid pretty eyes. Ravi could hear, through the never ending tirade of giggles, a few words and phrases when Hongbin actually was able to draw in enough breath to do anything but grin like an idiot. “I’m sorry,” he tried holding up a hand in apology but then dropped it back to his side for another gut busting laugh. Maybe the infection had different symptoms for different people; Hongbin was giggly under normal circumstances but this was ridiculous. They both needed to see a specialist. “I’m sorry, it’s not funny,” though hardly anyone would believe that with the way he dissolved into laughter again. “You’re not sick!” Another giggle. “I’m really sorry though, that wasn’t how I pictured introducing you.” Another laugh.

 

Alerts were sounding inside Ravi’s mind. Klaxons sirening that something was very, very wrong. ‘Introduce’ him? Three problems rose up to be knocked down. One, how was his mysterious cafe customer crush someone that Hongbin could have ‘introduced’ him to? Two, just how had he ended up there, in their apartment, in their bed? (Sweet mother of god, he didn’t want to think about that last part too hard.) Three, if he wasn’t a figment of his imagination, then that meant he’d really walked right in there half naked and on display. Heat ran up his neck and steamed out of his ears, he was sure. “Hongbin, please,” Ravi tried to sound as earnest as possible to his friend he was still slightly hiccoughing from his laugh attack. “Please tell me that Tall Double Shot Latte with Cat Eyes  _ isn’t _ in our bedroom.”

 

That seemed to sober him up, the laughter dying abruptly and his eyes rounded into saucers, there might have even been a twitch under one of them. “What?” he hissed as quietly as he could grabbing Ravi’s arm and dragging him farther away from the bedroom door. “What?” Hongbin whispered again like all of his voice had left him. For a moment his eyes looked far away, his mind gone somewhere while he was processing the information. It was a little creepy looking, the way they looked almost vacant, but then they snapped back to stare directly at his roommate. “Le-- Taekwoon-ssi is your Tall Double Shot Latte with Cat Eyes?” Worry sparked behind those brown orbs.

 

“ _ Taekwoon? _ ” It was Ravi’s turn to hiss. Months of effort and Hongbin just dropped that right into his lap? Had he always known? How come he’d never heard of this Taekwoon? They told each other everything. Absolutely everything, ever since, well, forever. As long as he could remember at least. Their first kisses, the first time they’d cheated on a test, or stole something. That had been hilarious, a nine year old Hongbin had been so distraught with guilt that he’d accidentally left a corner market without paying for his item that he’d made Ravi go back with him three days later and get down on their knees to apologize and pay. Ravi hadn’t done a thing wrong (that time) but of course he’d gone with him anyway. That’s what friends did.  A prick inside his heart started but he resolutely ignored it. “Who is he?” ‘Why haven’t I heard about him?’ He added on mentally. ‘Introduce’? It sounded like he was getting ready for marriage.

 

A look like guilt ran over Hongbin’s face, his lips almost pouting, Ravi could see the nine year old him again and it made his heart tighten. Why? What was so bad that he’d look like that? “You remember that job I had yesterday?” Ravi only nodded and kept peering close at his friend who seemed less and less like he wanted to look at him. “For that musical?” Again, he nodded, Hongbin was staring at the floor by that point. “With that actor I’m a fan of…” Was that it? Ravi couldn’t help the sigh of relief. A crush, he just had a crush on him. Like that time in high school when they’d both secretly been planning to ask the same boy out and then shared it with each other. Sure it had been awkward (and a little hilarious later) but that wasn’t so bad. “He kissed me.” Wait, what.

 

A knock at their front door interrupted Ravi before he could press the matter further. Hongbin sent one more distressed look his way and he wanted to call foul for using those eyes of his to his own advantage even unintentionally. Ravi could only slump against the wall as his friend ran to answer the door. This was all way too much shit for one Ravi to take in. Especially in the morning, even more especially on a morning when he didn’t have to do anything or go anywhere. No convenient escapes, or excuses to just get out, but then again he wasn’t even sure if wanted to. It didn’t matter though, he wasn’t going anywhere with the state he was in, but somehow the idea of going into the bedroom to fetch clothes was way too daunting. He knew what was in there.

 

Taekwoon. It felt weird. It was weird. Tall Double Shot Latte with Cat Eyes had been the man’s name in Ravi’s head for so long that actually having another to replace it with felt strange. His mind rebelled at the idea. Probably because some part of him had wanted to learn it from the man himself. Maybe he’d thought about times when he’d ask during taking his order and he’d get back a soft reply, acknowledgement that all his effort was worth it. Stupid romanticism of course, but how could he help it after he’d for sure got a smile the previous day. Strange, it felt a lot longer than one day. Ravi wasn’t sure what had possessed him to say it, ‘it’s good to see you again’. Was it because he’d missed the chance to talk to him at the register? Nothing could have stunned him more than the quiet response of ‘yes’ or that adorable small smile.

 

And the same day those same lips had been on Hongbin’s. Something odd wrapped itself around his heart and squeezed, painfully. His hand reached up to rub the heel of his palm over his chest. Hongbin and Tall Double Shot Latte with Cat Eyes, kissing. He couldn’t tell which one he was more in envy of, probably both and wasn’t that a giant ‘fuck you’ from his brain. A groan tore out of his throat and he sank to the ground, head buried in his hands. Could the day start over? He wanted to call reset, go back and re-do the last hour.

 

Before he was even sure what he was doing, Ravi was crawling across the floor to rummage in his pack. His trusty notebook emerged along with a pen. The words were there, all there in his head, he didn’t even need a beat, that was there too. “Start over,” he murmured and wrote as fast as he could before any of the words leaked out of his brain. Black on white, the sudden appearance of words, the sound of the pen scratching on paper was all he could hear. All he wanted to hear. He didn’t hear the sound of a shutter as Hongbin stood near the window and snapped a picture of his friend with a sad look in his eyes. Didn’t hear the sound of Hongbin storing away the fold out couch or dragging the coffee table back into position, setting the food he’d ordered out onto it.

 

It wasn’t until a pile of clothes landed near him that he was pulled out of the zone. He’d already got all the words down, every one of them, but he’d been staring at the paper, trying to divine something more from it than his own feelings. “I brought you some clothes.” Hongbin was scratching the back of his neck, a sign Ravi knew meant he was feeling awkward and out of place. “And I ordered breakfast, haejangguk.” Another smile that said ‘sorry’ and his roommate was walking back toward their bedroom. 

 

Hangover soup? Hongbin never got hangovers, that bastard could drink until the sun came up and his liver would just chug away like a champ. He’d only seen him get well and truly shit faced once, like they’d thought it was a personal challenge to see if he could. It had taken much too large a portion of their funds and what could only be called an ungodly amount of alcohol. That had also been the first night he’d crawled into bed with him and slept nestled against his back. At the time neither of them could remember how they’d got home or ended up sleeping in the same space, but a week later Ravi had been able to figure it out. He’d carried Hongbin after he had  _ finally _ passed out and then just rolled down next to him and slept.

 

So, if it wasn’t Hongbin then it must have been Tall Double Shot Latte with Cat Eyes. No, Taekwoon, he corrected himself. Guess no one had warned him that it was an unfortunate side effect of drinking with his roommate. But since he was thinking about it, something he’d tried to avoid doing so far, the tall man’s eyes had looked bloodshot when they’d met his own. The glare he’d sent at Ravi after throwing the pillow at his head must have meant he wasn’t pleased with all the noise he’d been making. Understandable. It probably said something that even with hair that looked thoroughly mussed (don’t think about it, don’t think about it) and his eyes red and slightly puffy from a night of drinking, he’d still looked so good to Ravi and even more of a mystery.

 

He dragged his ass to the bathroom with the clothes Hongbin had brought him tucked under an arm. Slipping into the shower, he let the hot water pound on his scalp and back for a couple of minutes while he dumped all his thoughts down the drain. It wasn’t the end of the world. What had he learned? Tall Double Shot Latte with Cat Eyes had a name, Taekwoon. He was a musical star. Somehow, he’d gone drinking with Hongbin. Were they alone? How was it he ended up coming back to their place? No, he was focusing on the things he did know. They’d got drunk, or half of them had. They’d kissed. Hongbin felt guilty. Was it about the kiss? Or bringing him home? Or both? Off track again. He was going to have to face eating breakfast with both of them. Or he could leave, he had clothes, he could just stream for the exit. But that was too much like running away, and he didn’t want either of them to think he was running.

 

The quick dry spun hot air around him until his hair was a fluffy mess (largely the way he liked it) so he just dragged on the clothes Hongbin had brought him. Dark jeans and a thick blue sweater, because he forgot to take a jacket sometimes he guessed was the reason. Of course Hongbin would be thinking about that. It was so like him.

 

Both his roommate and their guest, for lack of a better term, were seated at the coffee table with bowls of soup and rice and cups of coffee. A setting was laid out for him as well and he felt a little guilty for thinking about running earlier. Settling down he ducked his head in thanks and began eating, trying to focus on the food, trying to avoid noticing how a pair of Cat Eyes were staring at him as he did so.

 

“Kim Ravi-ssi,” the soft voice startled the hell out of him and he bobbled a spoon of soup on the way to his mouth as his head jerked up. Tal-- Taekwoon was staring at him with an unreadable expression. He was looking a little better than he had in the bedroom, his eyes were still a little puffy and bloodshot but they looked clearer. His shirt was rumpled as were his trousers, probably because he’d been sleeping in them.

 

“Y-yes?” Where had he learned his name? Did he hear it at the cafe? Had Hongbin told him?

 

“Taekwoon.” Ravi cracked a smile, even though that word alone shouldn’t have meant a damn thing to him just by itself. “My name is Jung Taekwoon.” And then the man went back to eating like he hadn’t just given Ravi a wonderful present. Somehow that one act had some of the tension easing out of his body. He glanced toward Hongbin who gave him a big smile though his eyes still looked upset over something. Still, Ravi gave him the thumbs up and got back to work on his own meal.

 

“Taekwoon-ssi is due back at the theatre for rehearsals today,” Hongbin informed him while the man in question continued to plow his way through breakfast silently. “The manager of the theatre texted me as well. He wants me to come in and go over some of the photos I took yesterday, and I have a few more that I need to show him too.” So basically he was busy today, was what Hongbin was trying to tell him.

 

“Do you need an assistant?” Ravi asked, grinning still for the first time that morning. It felt good.


	9. Chapter 9

There was something very wrong with the world or it was having a bit of a practical joke at Taekwoon’s expense. Those were the only possible answers that could account for his bizarre morning. Or perhaps he was dreaming, his drunken mind had come up with the most unusual circumstances possible to sate his own down played curiosity. How else could he explain the inexplicable? The coffee boy, Kim Ravi, and the photographer, Lee Hongbin were friends, not only friends, roommates. Roommates who shared a bed (cozily) when, what he supposed were, circumstances necessitated it. Roommates who also shared a cab, with him, going to his work place.

 

He winced behind borrowed sunglasses (round black discs that covered half of his face connected on a hard wire) and glanced into the rearview mirror to watch them carefully in the back seat. From all appearances they seemed oblivious to the highly strange situation they found themselves in. Other than the circus that exploded earlier in the morning, they’d both seemed to have adjusted fine. Once they’d sat down to breakfast, they both acted like nothing had happened, more they both treated him like he was just a normal part of their routine. ‘Taekwoon-ssi, I’ll grab you another cup of coffee.’ ‘Do you want to borrow a pair of my sunglasses for your eyes?’ ‘Shall we take a cab together, Taekwoon-ssi?’ ‘Will they be mad that you’re late? You can blame me.’ 

 

It almost reminded him of home. The constant familiarity and assumed affection. Not that he would say they overstepped the boundaries of etiquette, they didn’t know him, but then they weren’t pretending they did. More it was that he felt welcomed. By strangers. After leaving his hometown to pursue his dream of music, he’d lived on his own, even took comfort in the quiet solitude that solo living offered. He could have had a roommate. In the early audition days Jaehwan had brought up the idea that they could room together, but he’d quickly shot that down. But if he were being honest, the atmosphere of their breakfast, he’d liked it.

 

And as such, Taekwoon couldn’t help the suspicion that arose from it. After the blue haired boy, in all his nearly naked stumbling, had dragged the brown haired one out of the room he’d caught nothing but a sense of desperate urgency and then a fit of laughter that bordered on the unhealthy. Had they been speaking about him? Then why the laughter? And how had all of that translated into something else that wasn’t altogether normal. Something that felt familiar even though it wasn’t. Taekwoon didn’t like it.

 

With narrowed eyes he continued watch them and frowned. Ravi, he reminded himself of the other man’s name once more, was asleep or looked like it, cheek pressed into Hongbin’s shoulder and captivating eyes shut gently. It was so unusual to see him like that, Taekwoon had become quite adjusted to seeing the vibrant life in his eyes and the smirk that seemed to play on his lips most of the time. It reminded him once more that he really didn’t know him, reminded him how he thought he might want to, and all those times thinking maybe they’d have something to connect on. Ravi, a rapper who worked in a cafe and had body cut from stone it seemed. Heat rose into Taekwoon’s cheeks now that thinking hurt less than it had when he woke. The glance he’d taken had been short, and somewhat tarnished by the loud screeching Ravi had been emitting, but even that couldn’t diminish the image of a long, lean, and toned expanse of bronze skin stretched over taut muscle.

 

No, he wasn’t going to think about that.

 

The theatre was getting closer, and Taekwoon could already hear the potential complaints from the director, or the manager, or the conductor, from hair and make up, from the musicians, from the rest of the cast. When he’d finally thought to check his phone (and it had taken an almost embarrassing amount of time to come to that idea) he’d found several missed calls and messages. Starting with Jaehwan asking if he was coming down for a ride. Then another asking if he was okay. Followed by one from the director and the theatre manager, or well, ten from Manager Hakyeon, all escalating in urgency if the abuse of exclamation points and question marks was any indication.

 

When he’d finally responded that he’d be in soon he’d received another ten demanding to know what he was doing and why. Taekwoon had ignored all of them.

 

“Taekwoon-ssi,” as they were exiting the cab, Hongbin, half carrying half shoving Ravi out of the backseat, called to him, “Manager Hakyeon is upset right?” Taekwoon shook his head to try and deny it but form the nonplussed look on the boy’s face he wasn’t convinced. “I got a few texts asking me if i knew where you were. I think he was just blanket texting though.” Hongbin bit his lower lip worrying it with his teeth, and like the previous day Taekwoon caught himself doing it as well. “We’ll go in first, if I talk to him first then you can get to your rehearsal faster.” 

 

Again Taekwoon shook his head, “He’ll be in a bad mood and might take it out on you.”

 

“Don’t worry about me Taekwoon-ssi; it’s my fault after all.” He offered a smile that nearly blinded Taekwoon through his borrowed sunglasses, dimples popping out and teasing the corners of his own lips up into a half smile. When he said it like that, so cheerfully and honest, it almost made Taekwoon feel bad for having the same thought earlier, almost. Despite the generosity of ordering a hangover remedy for him, Taekwoon still considered Hongbin dangerous. He wouldn’t have even needed it if it weren’t for him after all. It wasn’t until the two of them ran off that he realized he was still smiling. The thought brought him back to a stern face. That needed to stop. Dangerous.

 

The stage was already set, the cast waiting as he walked on. He’d buttoned the suit jacket up to try and hide how rumpled the shirt was beneath it, though it was obvious that he’d slept in his stage clothes. A fact that they were quick to take notice of. “Hyung,” of course it would be Jaehwan, “Did you have  _ fun _ last night?” A cheesy grin spread over his friends face as he wisely kept out of arm’s reach. “None of us could get a hold of you, we were concerned.” The only concern Jaehwan needed was being concerned for his own hide. “And in your costume too, was it a fan?” 

 

Taekwoon merely leveled a glare at him before walking toward their director. “I’m sorry.”

 

Ravi was bored. So bored. Bored as hell. A nap was probably in order but he was technically supposed to be playing assistant for Hongbin. Which basically meant slacking off because Hongbin didn’t even need an assistant. After the theatre manager, Hakyeon, had grilled his friend on the whereabouts of their star the previous night (a story that was news to Ravi though was conspicuously missing any mention of a kiss) he was more than thrilled with the new work his roommate had to show him. Talk about animated, Ravi couldn’t help but share a dumb grin with his friend as the manager ‘oooo’d and ‘ahhhh’d over every shot.

 

‘You sound like that,’ Hongbin mouthed to him over the ducked head of Hakyeon.

 

‘Do not, liar,’ Ravi responded, biting back a laugh.

 

By the end of it the previous days photoshoot takes had been deemed unworthy by the manager, who seemed to have forgotten all about being being pissed. And he then wanted all of the main stars to have similar shots as the new ones, citing genius and a large budget as the reasons. Ravi wasn’t all too sure those were valid, but he wasn’t going to argue. The man just kept clapping to himself and grinning over everything; from the look Hongbin sent him Ravi could tell that he’d tried especially hard to calm the manager down before he confronted Taekwoon.

 

Which led to the boredom though. Hongbin had decided that he wanted to scour the theatre for suitable locations to shoot the rest of the cast. Which was fine and all, for him, but Ravi wasn’t the genius with lighting and set pieces and visual atmosphere. Hongbin was like Mr. Visual when it came to his photography, Ravi preferred to let his words do the painting for him. 

 

Still, one big theatre and one curious Ravi; the world was his oyster. Unfortunately time to think was the last thing he wanted. So far he’d been doing a damn fine job of not thinking he would say. Not thinking about the morning, or how things had changed with Tal-- Taekwoon. That was the nature of change though; you couldn't go back. You could never go back, only forward. Ravi wondered if he’d stop coming by the cafe. Would it be awkward? He smirked ruefully, or maybe it didn’t have anything to do with Ravi at all and he just liked the coffee that much. Maybe he could swipe him a bag of it for him like he did for Hongbin?

 

And he still wanted to talk to his roommate more. There was something off about the way he was smiling and the way they didn’t quite reach his eyes like they usually did. As something of an expert in Hongbin smiles, Ravi could tell when something was up. But his friend had been quick to suggest splitting up when they were given free reign of the building and he hadn’t had the chance to talk to him about it.

 

For a time he watched the rehearsals under the guise of ‘scouting’ the balcony. He’d seen a musical, once, when he was a kid but he’d fallen asleep half way through. Musicals had always been more Hongbin’s thing anyhow. He’d asked him to go with him to one once, during one of those times when Ravi had actually been dating someone. Someone who thought that he spent a little too much time with his best friend. It’d been stupid to try and bend over backward to please the lout, and Ravi thought he’d seen hurt in Hongbin’s eyes when he’d declined. It wasn’t much later after that when he’d decided to break up with boyfriend.

 

So, maybe musicals just left a sour taste in his mouth since then, though this one seemed more interesting what with gangsters and guns and all. And he really got a charge out of watching Taekwoon on point, how could someone with such a quiet voice have such a powerful set of pipes? He grinned down and waved to the singer on stage, but if the man saw it he didn’t acknowledge him.

 

Eventually Ravi found his way backstage for more ‘scouting’. It was almost a little spooky, with everyone on set for rehearsals the halls behind everything were like a ghost town. Steps echoed and he would swear doors were opening and shutting on their own. If he’d called out a cautious ‘hello’ to see if anyone else had been around, no one could blame him. It wasn’t like he was scared, that’d be ridiculous.

 

Some rooms were just long expanses of mirrored counter with ten chairs sitting in a row, while others were filled with racks of clothing. Curiosity got the better of him when he came across the room labeled ‘Jung Taekwoon’ with the door cracked open, but it wasn’t anything spectacular, just a room with a closet instead of a rack and it had it’s own personal mirror and couch.

 

“Bored.” Ravi muttered to himself, and sat down on the couch. A prop gun slid into him as he depressed the cushions. “Heh,” grinning, he picked it up and pointed it toward the mirror arching a brow at his own reflection, “You’re late on your payments, Mr. Hwang. You know how dangerous that can be. Bwah.” His wrist flicked the gun up and he couldn’t help but roll his eyes at his own foolishness while setting the gun down. 

 

If he was acting out dumb shit like that it was probably time to track down Hongbin and get some lunch, but of course his friend probably had forgotten about poor starving Ravi. Laughing at that, he closed his eyes. Not sleeping, he assured no one, resting.

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

Ravi screamed for the second time in the day. Visions of ghosts with bloodied knives and long white gowns chased his feet from the ground as he jumped in fright. His heart hammered hard against his ribs as he scrambled backward, his spine colliding with the closet door forcefully, his head bouncing off the wood having him seeing spots of light. Standing just inside the door was Taekwoon, sweat on his brow and all done up in a suit and tie, eying him with what could only be categorized as amusement.

 

“Fuck,” Ravi wheezed, hand clutching his chest as he tried to get his breathing under control. “Can’t you hum or something if you’re going to sneak up on someone?” All he received in response was a bland stare and Ravi realized just where he was. “Ah, right, this is your room... I wasn’t snooping or anything.” Not entirely true, but it seemed like Taekwoon was ignoring him, instead he moved through the space between them until he was close. Something buzzed in the back of Ravi’s brain and he swallowed, too close; he wasn’t stopping.

 

Eyes screwed shut, Ravi wasn’t sure what to expect. His breath hitched when he felt a finger brush over his forehead, pushing back a lock of hair that had fallen out of place when he’d bumped into the closet. Carefully, his eyes slitted open only to be met with the sight of those picture perfect pink lips centimetres from his face. Something was clogging his throat, probably his heart, and he nearly whimpered when he felt fingers carding through his hair and along his scalp.

 

But then the feeling was gone and Taekwoon was stepping back and looking in the mirror, pulling his tie loose, as if he hadn’t done a thing, face completely blank of sentiment. “Lee Hongbin-ssi was looking for you.” How was he going to sound so calm like that when Ravi’s heart was nearly drilling a hole through  his chest?

 

“Um, thanks,” That was his chance to escape and he made a beeline for the door, but stopped short. “Taekwoon-ssi?” He waited until the singer was looking toward him. What on earth was possessing him? Ravi, don’t do it. “We were just going to hit a shop across the street, but do you want to join us for lunch? I mean, if you don’t have plans.” 


	10. Chapter 10

It had been a good day. In all fairness, even with the madness of the morning, Hongbin couldn’t say that it hadn’t been a good day for him. Objectively speaking. What had been one simple enough job had become a steady stream of this’s or that’s to do around the theatre. Hakyeon, once he had seen the rooftop and club photos, had been overflowing with praise and excitement. And though Hongbin had a feeling that the manager had mostly been speaking to himself, he couldn’t help but feel a small amount of pride as the man congratulated himself on discovering and unearthing such talent. It was everything he ever wanted to hear about his art.

 

But something had been off, just at the back of his mind. A niggling feeling that everything was skewed a centimetre to the right. If you didn’t look too hard everything was fine, but the longer you stared the more glaring the issue became. He tried not to look at it. Work, he’d told himself, he had work to do, and lots of it. It was the same excuse he’d given Ravi when they split up to scout the theatre for potential inspiration. Better to go on their own, cover more ground, it was a big building after all.

 

The same excuse he used for crawling the access steps back up to the roof. It would look different in the bright daylight, he told himself. “You’re not fooling anyone, Hongbin,” he mumbled when the door swung open and the winter air caught him in the face. Smarter this time, he’d brought a jacket and huddled inside it as he stepped out into a view that was framed by sky scrapers of steel and glass. Daylight made everything sparkle in a sort of false sense of pristine cleanliness, as long as you didn’t look too closely.

 

If he tried, and he did, he could pull back the feeling of raw excitement he’d had when the famous Jung Leo had decided to take a chance on some stupid boy’s vision and inspiration. Of course, he was sure that Taekwoon didn’t see it that way, but it had been the biggest thrill of his life. A dream come true in a sense. And he’d taken an embarrassing amount of photos, much more than were necessary, but he couldn’t help it. He was a fan, after all.

 

Staring at the same spot he’d photographed the singer, he knew that something was still wrong though. Even if he hadn’t felt it then, because he didn’t know. It had just been a thrill a minute because he hadn’t known. Jung Leo, Taekwoon, was Tall Double Shot Latte with Cat Eyes. Was it strange to feel simultaneously envious, possessive and regretful? It probably was. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Ravi was already half in love with his coffee stranger, or at least it was the biggest crush he’d seen in his friend outside of high school.

 

A very small and petty piece of his mind had curled up into a jealous green ball when his roommate would wax on about the mysterious Cat Eyes that came to his cafe. Couldn’t Ravi see that Hongbin needed him? Had always needed him in a way, ever since childhood. Maybe it had taken the better part of their life to realize that, but it still made him ache to realize he’d fallen in love with his best friend. The slow kind of love that just crept up on a person and then pulled them down under the waves to drown in it.

 

At the same time though, he wanted Ravi to be happy. Even while he wanted himself to be happy. There were too many wants for people to be happy and not a solution in sight. If he’d known though, maybe he wouldn’t have kissed Taekwoon. Or, well probably not since he hadn’t been expecting it, but he would have felt more guilty about it a lot sooner. “Like that makes anything better at all, Hongbin. You still liked it, you dirty hypocrite. You still wanted to kiss him back. You’re just lucky he passed out before you both did something really stupid.” He was glad no one was on the roof to hear him.

 

But the rest of the day was back in the good graces of company and therefore out of his own head. It was a surprise that Ravi had invited Taekwoon to lunch with them, more of a surprise that Taekwoon had agreed to the idea. After waking up to what was probably not their best sides, it amazed Hongbin that he’d stand anywhere near them, near him. His only blessing was that Taekwoon really didn’t seem to remember what had happened.

 

Still, there was a natural sort of rhythm they all fit into, perhaps that was the biggest surprise of them all. When he put his unease under lock and key in his mind, it was easy to enjoy the lunch just for what it was, spending time with his best friend and an interesting person. Taekwoon liked being asked things even if he didn’t answer verbally, Ravi liked pretending he knew what the non verbal cues he used meant and Hongbin couldn’t help but giggle at the nonplussed stare Taekwoon would give and the little shake of his head or the considering looks and small nods. At one point Hongbin had caught both Ravi and Taekwoon tapping out the same beat to a song that played in the background of the store. Music lovers, he was envious.

 

It had felt almost strange to part at the end of the day. Like everything in the last 24 hours had been a page out of a book. Taekwoon wasn’t his friend, no matter how much Hongbin had wished it. That point had been driven home though when he’d scheduled photoshoots with some of the other cast. Lee Ken had been nothing but grins and smiles and babblings about promising to make him look better than Leo in his shots. He wanted to do more, bigger, better. Hongbin hadn’t the heart to tell him that the venue he was picturing for the man’s role was a little less glamorous. (An alley behind the theatre with a refuse dumpster large enough to hide a body. A key point for his character.) But then he’d gone on about how strange it was for Leo to go out, how he usually stayed in his condo or the theatre. Yes, very unusual behavior. Leo didn’t do social, as he was told.

 

A fluke.

 

Well, neither could he, or it felt like it. Instead of a cab, he and Ravi opted for the much cheaper subway to go home. They sat together as they had a million times, knees bumping into each other as the car jostled and careened through the tunnels. But that feeling like something was off came back in full force. It felt like he’d done something wrong. There wasn’t the same kind of playful banter that they normally shared.

 

A black cloud hanging overhead followed them home, up the steps to their tiny spit of an apartment. Hongbin could feel the storm brewing the moment door shut behind them with a soft hiss.

 

“Hongbin-ah.” Ravi paused just inside. “Are you okay?”

 

He could feel his mouth automatically pull back into what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Had he been worrying him? “Of course, I’m fine,” Hongbin shot the grin over his shoulder while storing his camera bag on a nail he’d pounded into the wall. “I took your advice, Wonsikie, I found a job that pays well.” The grin he wore wouldn’t stop, he didn’t want him to worry.

 

“Do you think you can fool me?” Ravi took the space of their apartment in long strides and nestled his chin against Hongbin’s shoulder, arms twining around his waist. “Bin-ah, why are you upset? Is it about this morning? Listen, I don’t care that you brought him here, it’s pretty obvious he wasn’t in a fit state to get home on his own. You did a good thing Bin-ah.”

 

“I didn’t know,” Hongbin’s voice was quiet, his breath still as his shoulders sagged. “That he was your Double Latte,” there was a slight tremor that ran through him, “I didn’t know when I brought him here, and I’m sorry about--”

 

“Stop, Hongbinnie, don’t apologize. Don’t feel guilty, please don’t. Do you think I’m jealous?” Ravi tightened his grip around his friend’s middle so that he couldn’t turn around lest his face betray him. “I know you, I know how much you admire him. He’s Leo right? That one you’ve got the albums of? The ones you play loud when you think I’ve got my headphones in. I noticed at the theatre when I heard him sing. Don’t act like you betrayed me or something.” He sighed and buried his face against Hongbin’s neck. “It’s okay, you know? He kissed you, it’s okay. You’re a handsome guy, I keep telling you, the most handsome. If I were drunk I’d kiss you too.”

 

Hongbin’s shoulders slumped even more. That’s what it would take? But he forced out a weak laugh. “Maybe you should drink more.” It was supposed to be a joke but it rang a little hollow. The heel of his hand pushed at his eyes, banishing tears that may or may not have been gathering there. “It wasn’t even a real kiss,” and why did a part of him regret that? “It was right before he passed out, so he probably doesn’t remember, so don’t worry.”

 

“Why would I worry?” Ravi kept his face nuzzled into the warmth of Hongbin’s neck, breathing deep.

 

“I don’t know.” Hongbin worked up a smile, a real one, and pulled away before he tried to kiss Ravi instead. How dare his heart rate increase when his friend was so close, what if he’d heard? “I’m beat though. I think I’ll shower and then do some photo editing in bed. Just tired, honestly,” he held up hands to try and show he wasn’t trying to escape. “What will you do?”

 

Ravi checked the clock on his phone, 8 pm. “There’s a couple of errands I need to do. And a ddokboki street vendor that I haven’t been to in a while.” He gave a cheeky grin and it seemed like everything finally settled back into place. Ravi couldn’t be too upset when he was thinking about food he wanted to devour.

 

“I’ll see you later then, don’t stay out too late, you’ve got to work in the morning.” Hongbin grinned again, dimples slightly teased out. “And Wonsikie? Thanks.”

 

Eight o’clock and all was not well. Taekwoon gazed out of his living room windows toward the city below and around him. Finally out of his stage clothes and into his own lazy pants and shirt, he should have felt like everything was finally becoming right again, but he didn’t. Jaehwan had dropped him off with a teasing barb of, ‘next time you go out partying with fans, let me know.’ And then that ridiculous wink, the one he used to charm interviewers into asking him all the questions. (Not that Taekwoon exactly minded that part.)

 

It hadn’t been partying with a fan so much as it was falling into a very craftily made trap. That’s what it must have been. Sometime between lunch and leaving for the day Taekwoon’s memory had finally caught up with him. The reason why his mouth seemed to tingle slightly when Hongbin was looking at him a little too hard. How had he let himself drink so much to do something so… personal. He’d only just met him and he kissed him? Had actively wanted to kiss him for the best part of the night. Still wanted to, he thought with a frown and that was the dangerous part. Instant attraction made people stupid. No, he corrected himself, thinking of Ravi with his soft blue hair that Taekwoon hadn’t been able to resist running his hand through just to see how it felt. Attraction in general made people stupid.

 

So why was it that when he was settled in his own, quiet, space, his own sanctuary, it suddenly felt empty? Why did he look into the city and instead of just seeing a hive separate from his own life, he saw the patch of town where their apartment was? Why was the dinner he made and ate almost too quiet even for him? It was a trap. He’d just missed the point where it’d already sprung shut.

 

Ravi stumbled into the apartment, giggled to himself and told the wall to be quiet or else it was going to wake Hongbin. Just enough, he’d thought, just enough to be brave. But ‘just enough’ had been maybe 5 shots before where he was when he left the bar. As a rule Ravi didn’t like drinking much, especially with Hongbin because that was just a one way trip to a hangover. But, his Hongbin had told him he should drink more.

 

He shucked clothes on the short trip to their bedroom, nearly falling flat on his face when a nefarious pant leg thought to trip him up. He’d deal with it tomorrow. The trail of discarded items ran from door to door. But he knew, just knew, that Hongbin would have set his pajamas on the end of the bed, like always.

 

The door to the bedroom slid open and Ravi snuck inside as quietly as he was able, which wasn’t very quietly it seemed. His shin connected with the corner of the bed frame and he hissed out a growl and laugh rolled into one.

 

“Ravi-yah?” Hongbin’s sleepy voice carried through the air and he could see the shape of his friend stir just slightly, sitting up a little. “Oh god, please tell me you had clothes on when you walked into the apartment.”

 

“Don’t worry, Bin-ah,” his words slurred slightly as he wrestled the tank top on and was almost 100% sure he’d managed to put his pants on backward but it was too much effort to try and fix them.

 

“A-are you drunk, Ravi-yah?” Disbelief covered Hongbin’s face as he followed Ravi’s movements to ‘his side’ of the bed. Just that look, with Hongbin’s stupid handsome face turned over his shoulder.

 

“Yup,” Ravi grinned and crawled into bed and scooted his way across the mattress to snuggle against his friend. “So you have to kiss me now, that’s the rule right?” And with that he crashed their lips together, hand diving in to tangle in Hongbin’s hair, pulling back just enough that he could suck gently on the other boy’s lower lip. So caught up in the thrill of kissing his perfect mouth that he didn’t notice the way Hongbin shuddered or ran his tongue over the curve of his own lips. Or the way he leaned his head into Ravi’s hand.

 

Drunk enough. Drunk enough to be stupid, but not stupid enough to be cruel. With one last satisfied tug of Hongbin’s lip he pulled back and grinned blearily. “Mmmm, handsome kisser too.” Ravi muttered before letting himself wrap his arm around his friends waist and drop off into dreams. He didn’t see the way Hongbin’s cheeks lit up or the stunned look on his face, didn’t want to. Just drunk enough.


	11. Chapter 11

Just a break. Taekwoon had decided that all he needed was a break. It had been a strange couple of days. And the tightness that sat in his chest when he thought about them was surely to do with stress and nothing more. Meeting and making friends with strangers wasn’t exactly his game, meeting and becoming… intimate with them was even more preposterous to his mind. So, when he woke the next morning he was determined to approach it as any other day, no meaning, no change in plans, no deviation from the normal.

 

Everything was fine.

 

His body ran through the paces of his normal everyday life. Morning, coffee, shower, dressed, work, lunch (no coffee), work, home, dinner, bed. Back to normal. It’s what he’d wanted, wasn’t it? If there happened to be a painful sort of ache inside of him he ignored it, or played it off as nerves for the upcoming opening night. Even though he never had nerves, there was always a first time for them. Of course the logic of ‘there’s always a first time’ only applied to nerves. There couldn’t be a first time for other things, like missing the company of someone.

 

And that wouldn’t even have been a first, if such a thought in his head existed (which it didn’t), because he’d missed plenty of people before. His family chief among them, but he wasn’t inexperienced either. He’d dated around some, had even given a long term relationship a try once right out of high school. He wasn’t incapable of missing someone, but it generally followed a long and developed process during which time he’d carefully thought about each point in the relationship.

 

There wasn’t any reason to feel his heart get pinched just a little when he’d decided that he wasn’t going to go to the cafe for a couple of days. In the city there were plenty of other coffee shops, why would he need to go to that one? Even when he felt something that might have been defiance in himself speak up about Ravi, he silenced it. Who was Kim Ravi even? Besides an attractive, beautiful soul that had been steadily digging itself into the back of his mind for months. Besides a strong back and slender hips and gorgeous legs, all of which he’d been given a look at.

 

Taekwoon no. Besides, he could always go back to the coffee shop. It was just a break, he told himself.

 

Plus, as the director and Manager Hakyeon were constantly reminding everyone, they opened in just less than a week, his focus should be the musical. Another reason why he couldn’t go to the cafe, all of the cast had started to just work through their breaks. A quick ten minute interval to eat something on hand and drink water but then it was right back into the grind for all of them. Tensions were already running high among the cast, arguments and tiffs bursting out on stage randomly before someone would step in to cool their heads.

 

Tension for Taekwoon was especially high because it seemed that Hakyeon had decided to make Hongbin the theatre’s official photographer. A fact that Taekwoon tried to ignore. After the rest of cast had all had their sessions with him the following day, he’d been hoping the boy might not show up around the building anymore, but like clockwork he’d be there in the afternoons snapping photos of this or that or everything. For the most part Taekwoon merely ignored him, and to his relief and regret, Hongbin did the same.

 

If he caught the other man staring at him sometimes with those wide dark eyes (not an indicator that he himself was looking) he didn’t feel some sort of spark of need deep in his gut. He didn’t imagine the kiss they’d shared. Why would he? To him, Lee Hongbin was a fan,  at most a co-worker since he always seemed to be around. And Taekwoon regularly ignored his co-workers as Jaehwan had always been quick to point out. They didn’t even acknowledge each other beyond the aforementioned staring. Wasn’t that exactly how he wanted it?

 

Three days.

 

Taekwoon stood again at his window and glared out at the city, blaming it for holding him hostage at the same location where  _ they _ were. It had been at this spot where the loneliness started that first night. Though he hadn’t had the term for it then. Just a minor reaction to being with constant company he’d thought; it would pass if he returned to routine. But the soft ache had been growing to something more like a devouring pain. 

 

Small reminders had been hounding him. The scent of the coffee that Hongbin brought into the theatre, Ravi’s coffee. The proofs that Hakyeon had shown the cast of their new program photos, the ones Hongbin had taken when he’d asked him for his idea. Especially the one from the club, with the smoky atmosphere and play of lights and shadows with shot glass in hand. When Jaehwan had forced him out to lunch to a store he’d heard of. Of course it was the same he’d ate lunch at with Hongbin and Ravi.

 

It was killing him.

 

If the loneliness wouldn’t leave him, then there was only one course of action to take.

 

Be less lonely.

 

Back to the grind, Ravi forced a smile for the customers waiting at the register of Coffee House. It wasn’t their fault that he was feeling a little miserable. It wasn’t their fault that he kept looking past them toward the door, hoping to catch sight of dark hair and broad shoulders and the infamous Cat Eyes. It wasn’t their fault that he’d somehow hurt his best friends feelings by his own idiocy. It wasn’t their fault that said best friend tried to pretend he wasn’t hurt. It wasn’t their fault.

 

It was his.

 

“Hyukie,” Ravi asked when they had a moment’s rest, a steady rush of customers finally having finished, “could you take over register? I’m not feeling it today.” What he meant to say was that he’d stopped holding out hope that Taekwoon was going to come in. And why did he really think he’d ever see the man again? It would only be awkward and a little forced probably, or worse, there wouldn’t be any acknowledgement at all.

 

“Yeah sure,” the younger boy wiped his hands off on his apron before switching spots with him, “you okay hyung? You’ve been really out of it for the past few days. Is it because Tall Double Shot Latte with Cat Eyes hasn’t been around?” Hyuk leaned back against the counter and put on what could only be called his ‘doctor’ look. Ravi had never told him that he’d met Taekwoon over the weekend, or that he’d learned his name. “He’ll be back, remember when he didn’t come in for a week straight? You thought you’d somehow screwed up his drink order.”

 

Ravi gave a soft laugh at that, if only it was something so simple. No, this time he knew just why he wasn’t coming in. Overexposure, or he just realized that the mystery was gone. Who was Kim Wonsik? Some guy who worked two jobs and barely had the money to pay the rent, some guy who tried too hard? Ravi only wished he could see inside the other man’s mind. “Nah, I know,” he lied a little and let his head drop anyhow, “I’m just out of it I think, I had a couple of big rap battles last week and I think I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.” 

 

It wasn’t completely untrue, but he wasn’t about to tell Hyuk about how he’d got himself as drunk as he ever was and then stole a kiss from his roommate. Bands around his heart tightened when he thought of what had happened the next morning. When he’d been drunk he hadn’t even considered the consequences, which was probably the point of being drunk just getting to float on the euphoria. But he’d never expected, never thought what it was going to do to his roommate. Maybe he’d been hoping that it would spark something between them. But he’d only got those sad doe eyes. ‘Ravi-yah, about last night,’ his heart had immediately leapt to his throat, ‘it’s funny isn’t it? I guess I just have that personality or maybe it’s my face. People only seem to want to kiss me if they’re drunk.’ He’d said it with a grin but it didn’t reach his eyes. ‘Just a handsome stranger.’

 

And like a coward Ravi hadn’t been able to offer anything other than an apology. ‘I’m not mad,’ Hongbin had said with a sweet smile, ‘I just wish someone would kiss me when they weren’t inebriated.’ Someone. Ravi had a suspicion he knew exactly who that someone was meant as. But as it turned out Hongbin admitted that at the theatre Taekwoon must have considered him of little interest as well. “Don’t worry, Hongbin-ah, I’m sure he just needs to focus on the show.” How could someone not take interest in his Hongbin? Everything about him was perfect.

 

For the last few days he’d been kicking himself. Why hadn’t he just been honest? ‘I like you Bin-ah, no, I love you. I’ll kiss you any time you want to be kissed, just say the word. I was only drunk to be brave.’ But for all that he knew Hongbin, and he did, there just wasn’t a way for him to predict how he’d respond. And Ravi refused to be responsible for ruining their friendship. This, this they’d recover from given another day or two, but a confession? He wasn’t so sure.

 

“Hyung.” Ravi’s thoughts tuned Hyuk out. Besides, Hongbin wanted Taekwoon to kiss him again, that was obvious. Not that he could blame him, he’d spent quite a lot of time thinking about those perfect cupid’s bow lips. “Hyung!” They’d been so close that day in the dressing room, he could still remember the feel of the other man’s fingers through his hair. God, he’d just wanted to lean forward and take a bite out of him, or be bitten, either one. “HYUNG!”

 

Startled out of his own thoughts, Ravi jumped and whipped his head around to scold his co-worker when he caught sight of the man at the register. “Kim Ravi-ssi…” he’d missed that soft voice, “are you ignoring me?”

 

“He knows your name, hyung?” Hyuk’s jaw dropped a little as his eyes grew wide in surprise.

 

“You’re here.” It started small, the grin that infected his face, but it grew larger with every passing moment. Ravi moved right past Hyuk to stand at the register. “Double shot latte to go, right?” The smile wouldn’t leave his face until Taekwoon shook his head. “Something else?” Ravi was honestly shocked.

 

“Do you get a break?” Taekwoon’s voice barely carried past the register and his eyes were looking at the counter rather than at Ravi, so he didn’t see the way his face grew mystified at the question.

 

“Uh, yeah, yeah I can take a break.” There was a lump in his throat that he couldn’t quite swallow down. Somewhere behind him Hyuk was making loud “ohhhhhhhhh” noises.

 

“Then I’ll have a double shot latte for here.” Here. With Ravi. On break. He could handle this, he hoped.

 

They sat at the table he normally shared with Hongbin. It was toward the back of the cafe where the noise was quieter, and they were much less likely to be overheard. Ravi waited on pins and needles as Taekwoon examined his latte in one of the cute cups the shop used for in house dining. The adorable cat face was staring up at him and for the first time Ravi was nervous about what the other man thought of his signature art for him.

 

“It’s cute.” he was so quiet and he said it so quickly that Ravi was barely sure he’d heard correctly. “I like it.”

 

That brought on a wide smile that had Ravi’s nose crinkling in delight. “I’m glad you came by, Taekwoon-ssi.”

 

“I missed you.”

 

“I mi-- wait, what?” Ravi’s eyes sharpened as his head tipped to the side trying to process what he’d just heard. There was a loud thumping inside his own head, heartstrings being plucked one at a time to make a chorus of hums. “Really?”

 

Taekwoon merely nodded and directed his attention toward his coffee, sipping slowly.

 

A soft glow seemed to fill Ravi and he just sat back and grinned for a moment, entirely too pleased with that. “I missed you too. I was beginning to wonder if you’d found a new coffee shop to visit.” He meant it as a joke but there was some amount of truth to it.

 

“I like this coffee.” As usual, Taekwoon’s responses were short and to the point, but it did remind Ravi of something he’d prepared.

 

“Hang tight for just a minute, okay? I’ll be right back.” Ravi got up from his seat and made a dash for the back room. He’d been waiting for Taekwoon to show up, had been thinking about it for far too much time during his day. Easing his backpack open, he pulled out a small bag he’d got from the convenience store and dashed back. “I got this for you. I was hoping I’d get the chance to give it to you in person.”

 

It was a few moments before Taekwoon accepted, taking the bag in hand a looking at it like he might uncover the secrets of it’s origin through sight alone. Slowly, carefully, he pulled the bag open and reached in to find another smaller sealed bag inside. Pulling it out he saw that it was a package of coffee stamped with the logo of the shop. Ravi’s coffee. For a few seconds he only stared at it before a small smile lit up his mouth and he raised his eyes to meet Ravi’s own. “Thank you.”

 

“I noticed you seemed to like the blend we had at the apartment so, I thought you might enjoy having some for your home too. Of course that might have just been the hangover. Strictly speaking we don’t really sell it here, but don’t worry I have permission to take a few bags every now and then. If you ever need more, let me know, okay?”

 

Once more he only received a nod back, but he was beginning to see the way Taekwoon communicated, and a nod was all he needed. “Are you coming to the musical?” The question came from out of left field and it took Ravi a little by surprise. Did Taekwoon want him there?

 

“I don’t know, Hongbin’s more the musical fan, but he did say that he was able to score a ticket from the manager. Maybe I could go, I mean, if you wanted me to be there I’d go.” That came out all wrong, he thought mentally wincing. “I mean that I want to go, to see you.” It wasn’t much of a save but it was better than making himself seem ambivalent on it.

 

Another nod. “I’ll get you a ticket. I want you to see it.” What he meant was ‘I want you to see me, and maybe someday you could show me your music as well.’ But Taekwon would need to build up to that. And with that he was standing and gathering his coat. “Thank you,” he repeated holding his bag of coffee. “I’ll see you again, Ravi-yah, tomorrow if you’re working or if you’re not, come to the theatre.” Eyes blown wide, Ravi could only nod.

 

And that was all Ravi got from him before he was leaving. Was that… had he just lived that? With the speed of light Hyukie was sitting where Taekwoon had just been, sly eyes all on Ravi. “Well,” he grinned, “that’s a new development,” and leaned forward in his chair to waggle his eyebrows at him, “how long have you know his name, jerk?”

 

There was a fire in Hongbin’s brain, right at the base, and the smoke of it clouded all of his thoughts until he could only focus on the bright heat that seemed to be spreading through his body. Back against the wall, eyes shut, a fist tangled in his hair and his lips being assaulted by one very intense Jung Taekwoon, he was liable to actually catch fire himself. Any thought beyond molding himself to the taller man’s body was burned away though, a muffled groan escaped his throat but was swallowed by the other man.

 

He could feel his shirt being untucked, a large hand sliding underneath it to scrape blunt nails over his abs, hard against rigid. A sharp tug on his lip drew his attention back toward the man demanding all his sense. Teeth dug into his lip, sharp versus soft, and he couldn’t hold back the quiet whimper of need as the hand stroked higher up his abs to press a palm against his thundering heart.

 

A low growl in the other man’s throat made Hongbin’s eyes slit open just barely, desire and need clouding them to meet the burning stare of the man pressing him hard into the backstage wall. As Taekwoon’s teeth scraped over his his skin, pulling away from Hongbin’s mouth to nip at the corner of his jaw as his head was tugged to the side by the firm grip in his hair, granting a longer expanse of neck for Taekwoon to press his lips upon.

 

“Taekwoon-ah…” he panted softly, throat bobbing under the sudden feather light touches the man was leaving. But then it was over and he could watch Taekwoon pull back, withdrawing his hand from the fist he’d held over his heart and leaving Hongbin’s hair mussed and lips red and swollen.

 

“Call me that from now on, Hongbin-ah, don’t avoid me.” Taekwoon offered a small smile and nod before turning to head for his own dressing room to change from his stage clothes. Stunned, Hongbin simply tried to process what had happened there.

 

Taekwoon had asked to speak with him after rehearsals, he’d waited, specifically, for everyone to leave. If Hongbin had known what they were going to talk about, he wasn’t sure that he would have ever made it to the conversation. ‘I remember kissing you.’ ‘I’ve thought about it too much.’ ‘Would you protest if it happened again?’ And the moment Hongbin had shyly admitted that he wouldn’t, well… his heated face spoke for that. “Taekwoon-ah…” he whispered to himself and smiled.

 

And not a single drop of alcohol had been had.

 

In his condo, Taekwoon watched the city from his window and smiled. The pain in his heart had eased up, more, he felt satisfied in a strange way. Like he knew that he was going to sleep well that night, better than he had for the past week almost. It was perhaps poor luck on his part that there were two parts to making the ache inside him leave, two people he seemed to be tied to already but he would deal with that in time. From what he’d seen the morning he’d woke with his hangover… it might not even be a problem. Perhaps they were both already together, it was obvious they were comfortable being intimate together.

 

Satisfied, Taekwoon left toward his bedroom lowering the lights as he went. Satisfied because he knew he’d see them both the next day and somehow that made something warm pool in his stomach.


	12. Chapter 12

Hongbin hated pacing, waste of energy, and there was never enough time in the day. He didn’t have time to be pacing, he could to be cooking dinner or cleaning the apartment. The laundry needed washing, as did the dishes, the bedding should be changed and the whole place could use a vacuum. It was getting around the time for him to go into Ravi’s side of the closet and organize that before the mess took on organic life and began to lurch through the streets of the city devouring the unsuspecting. There were a multitude of things he could be doing.

 

But he was pacing. Because his lips were tingling and that weird sense of guilt had settled into his chest again. Despite all that Ravi had told him before, it still felt a little like a betrayal. Though, he frowned to himself, maybe the betrayal was more to himself than anything else. It had been a strange week for Hongbin and kisses. From routinely seeing approximately zero a week to having three, four if you counted the pepero game.

 

All of it had him confused. Taekwoon had gone from drunkenly telling him that he didn’t like how handsome he was and kissing him to ignoring his entire existence for a few days before settling on pushing him up against the wall and making Hongbin’s eyes cross with need. He wasn’t sure if he felt grateful or a little used. No, he was grateful, grateful because Taekwoon had told him to call him ‘Taekwoon-ah’ and not to avoid him. Maybe there was some behind the scenes test he’d had to pass first that he wasn’t aware of. But it seemed like Taekwoon had somehow (Hongbin’s brain broke a little trying to figure out how) accepted him in a way. And it was more than interesting finding out who he was behind the amazing voice and serious persona of his star image. Were they friends? Who kissed? Was it going to happen again? Too many questions, never enough answers.

 

And then there was Ravi. What was he supposed to do there? “Hongbin, this is your fault, you told him to get drunk, idiot.” His own voice kept him company. But he’d only thought Ravi would take it as a joke. That was how they messed around with each other for years, forever almost. Things like that or that stupid pepero game. What was changing between them? Small things that used to be inconsequential were suddenly tripping him up. Ravi drunk? That was strange to begin with, but then he’d just kissed him, like a lover, and then gone to sleep of all things. What was Hongbin to think?

 

It had taken almost all of his courage to bring it up the next morning, his heart was in his hand and the fist he made squeezed painfully. ‘People only seem to want to kiss me when they’re drunk.’ Really, Hongbin? What had he been expecting? That Ravi would take the strides to him? Wrap his arms around him and kiss him again in the daylight? Was he hoping for a confession? It hurt to admit that a part of him wished for it so hard. That the drunken indulgence had been some subconscious signal that Ravi had felt all the same things toward him that he felt himself toward Ravi.

 

But, like a coward, Hongbin wanted Ravi to confess first. Didn’t want the burden of changing the game. What if it had just been a stupid drunken kiss? “Haha,” he whispered to the empty apartment, “it’s a new game. Everyone kisses Hongbin when they’re drunk.” A part of his heart cracked in his chest. Though it wasn’t true, as Taekwoon had shown earlier, for a brief shining moment Hongbin had thought something was finally being revealed between he and Ravi.

 

A thought dashed when his friend had only offered a sheepish apology for getting so drunk.

 

Just a mistake.

 

But they’d get past it. They always got past things, it would be just like the whole ‘sharing a bed’ debacle. Maybe it would get a little awkward for a few days but they’d be fine. It wasn’t the end, and that brought on a wave of relief to him so powerful his knees nearly buckled. More than the man he was in love with, Ravi was his best friend. A constant and never ending source of dependability and comfort. Maybe they’d always been friends, even before they met. The older they got it was harder and harder to pinpoint the moment where they’d decided to live in each other’s lives. Hongbin and Wonsik, eventually Hongbin and Ravi, they just were.

 

As long as he had that, he could make it through the rest.

 

And the rest just so happened to be include one Jung Taekwoon.

 

He wondered if Taekwoon had visited the cafe as well. As stupid as it sounded, he hoped he did, even while he savored his own thought with the other man. It was obvious that Ravi had been missing him. “Crushes on the same guy, are we both teenagers again?” The steady pacing Hongbin had been employing paused. For some reason, he doubted this could end as well as their situation in high school had. The boy they’d been chasing then turned out not to be interested in either of them, instead taking a liking to Ravi’s sister.

 

After which Ravi had decided he really didn’t like the guy at all. In fact he disliked him, a lot, violently nearly. Hongbin smiled at the memory; he’d eventually had to hold Ravi back from trying to pick a fight when the guy had asked about dating his little sister. No, somehow he didn’t see it ending the same way with Taekwoon.

 

The door lock chimed and Hongbin jumped slightly. Should he just be standing there in the in middle of the room? With seconds to decide, he approached the kitchen to at least pretend to look like he’d been doing something other than waiting for Ravi to get home. They did need to eat something after all.

 

“Hey Bin-ah,” Ravi called out to him with a smile, a big one, the one that made his eyes crease. He must have seen Taekwoon. That had been the ‘I saw Tall Double Shot Latte with Cat Eyes’ smile for a few months. “Oh, are you cooking? Something good?” As was his usual, his roommate dumped his bag against the wall, just wherever it landed, and shrugged out his jacket to toss that along the floor somewhere too. Kicked off his shoes that had them sitting haphazardly on the pile of organized pairs, and shuffled over to the kitchen to perch against one counter. There was barely enough room for both of them. “Haven’t decided?” He asked seeing that nothing had been pulled from the cupboards yet. “I don’t have a lot of time because I’ve got a thing tonight by the Zero Center, but I wanted to talk to you.”

 

Hongbin paused in rummaging through their makeshift pantry to turn a smirk his roommate’s way. “I bet it has to do with the same thing I wanted to talk to you about.” Of course it would. It would be funny if it weren’t so sad, maybe Taekwoon just saw them both as one entity. A two for one kind of deal. “But you can go first.” He continued  staring into the cupboard but didn’t really see anything there.

 

A cough that sounded a little forced and Hongbin was glad he wasn’t looking his friend in the eye, “Taekwoon-ssi came by the cafe today.” Ravi slipped down from the counter to squat, back pressed against the wall while he fiddled with a button on his shirt. “He said he’d missed me,” the smile in his voice was all but beaming, “am I being stupid, Hongbin-ah? I never even realized he could have been famous. Now I feel like I should be self conscious but I’m not. I just get sort of giddy when I can talk to him? I don’t know man.

 

“But he saw you today too, right? That’s what you meant by the ‘same thing’, right?” Ravi asked without really looking toward him. Something was off, they both continued to stare in opposite directions, never quite meeting in the middle. Was it the kiss? Was it because they both were excited over the same guy? Hongbin couldn’t tell but he hated it. This was Wonsikie, the only thing he’d ever hidden from him was the fact that he’d come to gain romantic feelings for him. “I told you before that it’s okay, you know? I mean, I don’t really know how it’s supposed to work, but don’t clam up again, okay?” Ravi broke their non stare stalemate to glance at him. “I’m serious, Hongbinnie. You can tell me anything, you know that, right?

 

“So what’d he do? Pin you up against the wall of the theatre and have his way with you?” Ravi almost missed the choking sound Hongbin was making because he was laughing, but there was no mistaking the blush that burned from Hongbin’s cheeks to his ears. Eyes wide, Ravi turned full body to stare at him. “No, seriously!?” A wide grin cracked his face, “Way to go, Hongbin-ah!” A round of applause and Hongbin was curling his fingers in embarrassment.

 

It figured that Ravi would just skip past the awkward, wouldn’t even let it phase him, the man who he’d been so giddy over kissing Hongbin wouldn’t even register as a conflict of interest, or at least he didn’t let it show. “Ravi-yah!” Hongbin yelled at the floor, head dipped in embarrassment. “Weren’t we talking about your day?” Divert, distract, reroute, anything to take the attention off of himself. “No, I don’t think you’re being stupid.” Well, not for that at least. “At the risk of sounding ridiculous, it’s obvious that he likes you. Coffee House isn’t anywhere near the theatre, that’s a long drive and cab fare. Most expensive latte he’s ever bought probably.”

 

Ravi bit his lip and grinned, Hongbin would dare say he was glowing. It made him feel more guilty for having kissed (been kissed by?) Taekwoon earlier. They (Taekwoon and Ravi) weren’t dating, but there was some breach of trust implied in there somewhere. And Taekwoon had told Ravi he’d missed him, but with Hongbin he just wanted to kiss him? Hongbin frowned and rubbed at his brow with his fingers. 

 

“Hey, stop making that face,” something soft bumped into Hongbin’s head and had him butt planting on the floor after perching on his toes for so long. Ravi was right next to him giving him his ‘stern fatherly disapproval’ look. “You think I don’t know what’s going on in your head? ‘Blah, blah, I feel like I cheated with Ravi’s not boyfriend and now I will owe 100 years of repayment  back to make up for the deed.’ Or something like that right?” Hongbin very nearly pouted, sure it sounded stupid when he said it like  _ that _ . “Listen to me Bin-ah,” Ravi pulled Hongbin’s legs around so they were facing each other, sitting on their kitchen floor, “because I’ve put more thought into this then I probably should have.

 

“You think I’m being weird, by being happy for you and being happy for me when we both like the same guy.” Hongbin nodded, cautiously, unsure of where Ravi was going with his words. “But I see it like this, and trust me, I started feeling a lot better after I came to this conclusion. You’re my best friend and I want you to be happy. And when you’re happy, I’m happy.” Again, a cautious nod. “And I’m your best friend and I’m pretty sure the same goes. You want me to be happy and when I’m happy you’re happy.” He waited for yet another nod. “So, you see, if either one of us start feeling guilty or like we’re doing something awful because of Taekwoon-ssi, then we won’t be happy, and then the other of us won’t be happy. And this is the part where you don’t want to think about it too hard because you end up with a headache, but that’s a pretty shit way to try and tip toe around each other. So let’s just not.”

 

On the surface it made sense, Hongbin conceded, but he was sure if he started looking closely whatever Ravi had just said would be chocked full of holes and flaws. Wasn’t it a little too simplistic? What happens if one of them fell in love? Or when Taekwoon-ah decided that he wanted one more than the other? “You’re thinking about it too hard,” Ravi interrupted his thoughts, “you’ll nitpick it to death when it’s really simple. If I backed off so you could have him, what would you say?”

 

This was a trap, Hongbin could already see where it was going. “That you were wrong and that I was going to back off instead.” He answered, not seeing a way past admitting it, had already been on the verge of offering to do just that earlier.

 

“Exactly,” his roommate offered a smug smile, “and then you feel bad, I feel bad, I don’t know, Taekwoon probably feels bad too? Who knows?” Ravi shifted Hongbin’s feet again moving so that they could sit side by side, legs bumping into each other. “I’m not saying it’s perfect Binnie, but please don’t let this make either of us unhappy when it doesn’t need to. I mean, if there was one person I couldn’t blame him for falling for, it’d be you.”

 

His mouth went dry at that, so he opted for hiding his face between his knees. How could he just say something like that and not know what it did to him? “Okay,” there was no arguing with him really, but Hongbin was determined to keep a watchful eye, just in case. “Alright,” he grinned because it was what Ravi wanted and brought his head up. “we’ll try it your way, but promise me no hurt feelings later.”

 

“Promise,” they linked pinkies before twisting their wrists to press their thumbs together, the sign of an unbreakable promise. “Now that that’s out of the way, I’ve got something even more important I need your help with.” Ravi stood and dusted his pants off, holding down a hand for Hongbin. “What do you wear to a musical?”

  
“ _ You’re _ going to the musical?” Something pinched in his heart, but he let shock cover the twinge of pain. Of course, if Taekwoon asked him, Ravi would go. It shouldn’t hurt, but it did.


	13. Chapter 13

It wasn’t a perfect plan, Ravi would have been the first to admit it. On the outside it probably lacked a certain amount of sense. But nobody was going to go around accusing him of being the most clever guy around either. The point was, it was working, well enough. And that was more than good enough for him. Even with Hongbin’s eyebrows quirking with the need to nitpick every time they both came home and talked through their days. 

 

Taekwoon-ah (as the man had told Ravi to address him from then on) didn’t seem to be letting up on seeing either of them. And over a couple of days there seemed to be a sort of awkward rhythm that grew between all three of them. Lunchtimes had Taekwoon coming into the cafe, Ravi would take his break and they’d sit huddled together at the table in the back, and then he’d fill the silence with anything he could think of. Music was generally the primary topic of discussion and it had thrilled him down to his toes when it seemed like the other man had an interest in hearing him rap sometime. But then Ravi remembered that most of his raps were in battles and he wasn’t so sure Taekwoon would be so keen on hearing those particular tracks.

 

The only downside was having to keep from locking Hyuk into the store room every day because that kid could make such a nuisance of himself. Ravi could hear his chanting and so so obvious ‘ohhhhhh’s all the time from the register and it wouldn’t have surprised him in the least if he was eavesdropping somehow. But it was his own fault, Hyuk had been there every step of the way for the ‘Tall Double Shot Latte with Cat Eyes” saga.

 

Then in the afternoons, from what he’d been able to gather from Hongbin, the two of them would stay late at the theatre for a little while. Kissing, holding hands, sitting on a perch on the roof and watching the sun go down; Ravi didn’t miss the way Hongbin’s eyes would soften when talked about it. Sometimes the two of them would talk but a lot of the time it seemed like they enjoyed the companionable silence while Hongbin would snap photos of the city from their view.

 

And at the end of the day, when Hongbin and Ravi were home they’d talk about it. Because that’s what they’d always done about everything in their life. Ravi wasn’t even sure he’d have been able to keep it all to himself even if he’d tried. But despite the way Hongbin would roll his eyes at the plan, he never failed to ask him about their lunch dates, never stopped being Hongbin, so effortlessly wrapped up in Ravi’s life that he couldn’t have extricated him with a jackhammer. And he wouldn’t have wanted it another way.

 

He’d been worried, that Hongbin would pull back. His friend had been less thrilled with Ravi’s idea than he’d hoped for. But their silly little pinky promise held true, no hurt feelings, no hiding, at least about Taekwoon. It was almost funny. Ravi would have thought if there were any jealousy it would be over the fact that they were both pseudo-dating the same guy, but it wasn’t. That was solved by the plan.

 

No, it was weird, but a petty and small part of him was jealous of Taekwoon. After all, he got to kiss Hongbin all the time now, whereas Ravi had pretty much fucked that up as much as he could. He told himself he should be happy that Taekwoon was someone that would kiss Hongbin when he wasn’t drunk, unlike himself, and he was happy for Hongbin, so happy. But after having a taste, it seemed to hurt more inside when he thought about it too much. So, he tried not to.

 

Ravi’s phone buzzed angrily at him, pulling him out of his own thoughts as he hunched on the bed in their tiny room, staring at his recently organized closet. He didn’t know where anything was anymore but it certainly looked nicer. Before looking he already knew what it was, the same thing it had been for the past day, ever since he’d told his group that he wouldn’t be at the gathering Friday night for the ‘battle of the year’ supposedly. The same asshole who’d been calling him out for a little over a week.

 

**_still gonna fucking pussy out 2nite, u lil shit? 2 scared? now every1’s gonna know what a fucking fake u are. find a new life. after u no show tonight every1 will know that ur just a little no talent terrified bitch!_ **

 

“Yeah, whatever, asshole,” he tossed the phone aside under his pillow with a frown. The problem was, that wasn’t the only text he’d received, and they hadn’t all been from pricks like him. Friends asking him why he wasn’t going to come when he’d yet to miss a single showdown. For some reason, he didn’t think that saying he’d been invited to go see a musical’s opening night was going to earn him any credit with any of his underground peers. But it wasn’t going to ruin him, he hoped; he’d just work extra hard on his comeback for the next week and show them all just how Ravi threw down. It didn’t bother him, he told himself.

 

The outfit Hongbin had pulled out for him was hanging up. It was simple, well probably because it was the only thing he had like it. A crisp white shirt with a black vest and black trousers. Interview clothes, he thought with a laugh. His mother had sent them to him six months after they’d moved to the city and he hadn’t found a steady job yet, with a note reminding him to look after himself and she hoped these would help him look more presentable. He’d worn the outfit a total of maybe four times since then. Once had been for a date.

 

Hongbin popped his head into the room, hair wet and in his eyes from the shower with only a towel wrapped around his tiny little waist. Like was often the case living with the handsome bastard, Ravi wanted to weep a little. “Shower’s all yours, Wonsikie. I tried to be quick so there should be plenty of hot water left.” They’d had to play a hand game to decide who was going to get first go at the bathroom. In all their years living together, it was the first night they’d both been trying to get ready for a date simultaneously. Well, not a date really since they were both going alone, but going to see Taekwoon perform must have counted on some level.

 

Ravi took his clothes with him and showered quickly, opting to try and put some sort of hair product Hongbin kept into his pale blue mop to try and make it look less wild. The ‘just rolled out of bed’ look didn’t really go with the clothes or atmosphere for the evening. By the time he came out of the bathroom looking, what he considered, halfway respectable, Hongbin was already dressed and ready to go. Perfect hair swept back from his face and styled like one of those idols on TV. His suit fit him perfectly, broad in the shoulders and slimmed down to his skinny waist with narrow legged pants that sat just right on his hips. If Ravi’s mouth went a little dry at the sight of his handsome roommate, no one could blame him. 

 

“Let’s go,” Hongbin grinned and it was so nice to see his face eating smiles had come back, dimples on full display before putting out his arm for Ravi to take. “We’re going to be the two most attractive guys on the subway tonight.” Well, it was half true, Ravi laughed and linked arms with his friend, glad to see they were okay, everyone would be looking at Hongbin though.

 

On one level, it felt weird that he was going to the same musical as Hongbin and not going  _ with _ him. Sure, they were going to the theatre together, but the seat that Hakyeon had given Hongbin wasn’t anywhere near the seat Taekwoon had given him. Ravi felt a little bad that he’d ended up with a better spot somehow when it was Hongbin who loved the scene so much, but when he’d tried to trade tickets with him but Hongbin had refused.

 

The theatre was done up, sparkling in lights and with spotlights on the roof to announce it all. He’d had no idea that opening night was going to be such a big deal. It made him glad that Hongbin had been there to tell him to wear something nice. “It won’t be like this after tonight,” his friend whispered as they walked through the entrance into the grand lobby, “but tonight is supposed to be special.”

 

They quickly said ‘goodbye’ though, as Hongbin ran off with his camera bag tucked over his shoulder. Hakyeon had wanted a few shots of the opening night crowd and Hongbin hadn’t learned how to say ‘no’ to a single on of the manager’s requests. But to be fair, after meeting him once, Ravi could see why. Just getting pinned down by that smile and those eyes probably compelled people into agreeing to all sorts of things.

 

With nothing else to do, Ravi grabbed a copy of the program and made his way to his seat, kicking back in the soft cushioned chair while other people milled around in the aisles. Inside the little pamphlet were the products of Hongbin’s hard work, and Ravi couldn’t help but smile as he saw each page touched with his friend’s art. They’d pulled the original design of the program just so they could re-design it around Hongbin’s vision. All of the cast looked spectacular on their respective pages, and Taekwoon especially looked hot with his intense stare burning right into the camera, a glass of something dangling from his hand.

 

Others were slowly filling in the seats around him and he tried to sit up instead of slouching, attempting to look like he belonged. He was never going to live it down if he fell asleep. The lights turned down and he mentally knocked himself in the head, no sleeping Kim Wonsik.

 

It turned out to be easier not falling asleep than he’d thought it would be. The story of the musical trapped him from the onset and he found himself leaning forward with rapt attention. Taekwoon’s character was someone like him, well if he was a murderous gangster with no remorse, which he wasn’t but more like someone who came from nothing and wanted to make a name for himself… and well yes that’s where the similarities ended.

 

The first act began winding down at Ravi watched with bated breath as Taekwoon prowled the stage, decked out in a suit with a long jacket and tapping the barrel of his gun against his jaw. The police officer who had been on the take to his character sat bound and gagged in the center of the stage, a black eye coloring his face. It gave Ravi shivers just listening to the way Taekwoon’s sweet voice turned cold in his role as he strolled over to him.

 

“You knew how this was going to end the moment you made your choice,” the barrel of the gun pressed hard against the bound man’s temple. “You, of all people should have known, Officer Joonyong. How many times did you turn a blind eye to the bodies you helped bury? Do you really think I can’t find someone to do the same for yours?” Taekwoon gave a mirthless sort of laugh as the other man garbled something behind the gag. “No, I’m afraid we don’t have time for your rebuttal.” The music started picking up pace, the sound becoming intense like a frantic heartbeat.

 

“My only regret is that I won’t get to do this properly. A quick death seems too good for someone like you. And you know how I like to punish traitors.” Taekwoon stepped away a few paces before turning and leveling the gun at him again. “But you’ll serve your purpose to me in death. A warning to the others. Nobody crosses me. Goodbye Officer Joonyong, your services were appreciated.”

 

The music cut as the crack of the gun firing echoed in the theatre before gathering for one last crescendo as Taekwoon walked off stage smiling and the lights illuminating the stage cut. The curtains dropped and Ravi, who hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath, wheezed it out. Whatever kiddy musical his mom had taken him to as a child hadn’t been nearly as intense.

 

Everyone around him started stirring and he urged them to hurry and move. There was too much wound up energy in him from sitting and tensing during the dramatic moments. He needed to get up and move around, plus Taekwoon had mentioned that if he wanted, he could drop by his dressing room during intermission and given him a pass to get past the doors.

 

Part of him wanted to find Hongbin but he was supposed to be up in the balcony level, and would in all likelihood probably be taking more pictures for his project. Still, as he stretched his back out in the aisle he looked up to see if his friend could be spotted from there, but there was no sign of him.

 

Backstage was busy, people were running this way and that getting their hair and make up touched up or changing costumes. People were exercising their vocals and it just made a cacophony of sound and movement that seemed to almost breath with life. Ravi slipped his way through everyone before finding Taekwoon’s room. The door was ajar so he knocked against the frame before entering.

 

It was a mess, at least compared to the last time Ravi had seen it. Costume pieces were draped over the couch and counter, the closet was open and hangers were left bare or half dressed, several ties looked like they’d just been tossed in randomly. But there was no Taekwoon. Was he supposed to wait for him? It wouldn’t hurt to wait a couple of minutes, but somehow every minute that ticked by with him waiting made him feel smaller and smaller. Surely Taekwoon was really busy, but he continued sitting anyhow.

 

Another few minutes or so and the man himself finally walked in, hand already pulling his tie loose before his eyes spotted Ravi on the couch. “Ravi-yah,” what might have been an barely perceptible smile ticked across his face, he’d learned that those were normal Taekwoon smiles and he offered a bright one in return. “Did you wait?”

 

“Not long,” Ravi replied and Taekwoon just sighed sitting down at the counter to look at his face in the mirror. “You probably get this a lot,” Ravi already felt dumb saying it, “but you’re amazing, Taekwoon-ah. I was stuck on the edge of my seat the whole time.” The other man’s eyes widened a little before he set his face down on the counter, hiding it. A quiet sort of ‘shhh’ coming from him. “What? Really? You’re embarrassed?” Ravi’s grin grew wider, that was probably the most adorable thing he’d seen from the other man.

 

Taekwoon lifted his head, shaking it at him and waving his hands at Ravi like to cut him off. But Ravi could see an almost blush under the make up. “Ohhhh, even after all your fame, still so humble.” It was a new experience to watch how he tried to wave away the compliments before getting up to come sit next to him looking like he was going to die and/or smother Ravi to death.

 

“Ah, Leo-ssi!” A formidable looking woman with a make up kit swept in with an air of ‘don’t fuck with me’, “you were supposed to be here five minutes ago! Where were you? Sit, over there, now please.” She wasn’t even looking toward him, just getting her brushes and kits set up on the counter. “Hurry!” 

 

Ravi wasn’t about to argue with her. “I’ll head back to my seat.” He gave Taekwoon a thumbs up before abandoning him to the stylist’s clutches, the door clicking shut behind him. Someone bumped into him and shoved him back into the door.

 

“Sorry,” the manager, Hakyeon paused to apologize, eyes a little too wide, a kind of glossy look over them. “Oh, you’re Hongbinnie’s friend, right? What are you doing back here? You’re not supposed to be here.” Before Ravi had a chance to explain though, the man was already shaking his head, “You should get back to your seat.” He smiled but it was the absent sort, where your mouth makes the movement but your brain doesn’t.

 

By the time Ravi got back into the main theatre there seemed to be a buzz in the crowd. A sort of agitated state that was growing by the second. Intermission was running well over time and the audience was not happy. Was it something to do with what had Hakyeon so distracted? 

 

It was another fifteen minutes before he heard someone calling his name, Hongbin stood in the aisle and beckoned for him to come over. “Ravi-yah,” he spoke low and pulled Ravi closer so that there was hardly any space between them. “I think something bad happened.” Warning chimes were sounding in the back of his head. “People up on the balcony said they saw police cars outside.”

 

“Manager Hakyeon seemed distracted when I went backstage earlier.” Ravi admitted quietly. Hongbin’s face registered surprise before raising an eyebrow to tell him to continue. “I went back to say hi to Taekwoon-ah.Aish, he gave me a pass to get back, I didn’t sneak in or anything, don’t give me that look. But he didn’t show for a while and then when he did he was in a rush so I excused myself. That’s when Manager Hakyeon ran into me and he seemed really stressed. He told me to come back to my seat and that was it.” Hongbin bit his lip and glanced around at the people stirring in their seats.

 

“Excuse me,” a voice through the speakers brought his attention to the stage, “may I please have everyone’s attention?” A uniformed officer stood before the curtain with a pick up mic in his hand, waiting for everyone to quiet down. “Good evening, my name is Officer Jung Jaehun with the Sangeu Police Department. It’s my unfortunate duty to inform you that the rest of tonight’s production has been cancelled.” An outcry among the crowd started but the man on stage just waited until people were silent again. “There’s been an incident and we’re asking that everyone give their full cooperation to the police. We ask that you all stay where you are for the time being until further instructions are provided. Thank you.” The moment he ended his speech people burst out with questions and demands but the officer was already leaving the stage.

 

“What do you think happened?” Hongbin asked but Ravi only shrugged. The white noise of the crowded audience grew louder as more officers started walking through the groups, talking to some people. “Was Taekwoon-ah alright when you saw him?” Worry tinged Hongbin’s voice.

 

“Yeah, he was fine last I saw,” but Ravi would be lying if he said he wasn’t worried too.

 

It was another half hour before anything happened besides the stress levels of everyone increasing. Slowly, they’d been letting some of the audience that had been spoken with leave, but that was just getting the rest riled up more. No word had been given on what had actually occurred though.

 

“Excuse me, are you Kim Wonsik?” The same officer that had been on stage, Officer Jung, walked up to him and Hongbin.

 

“Er, yeah, that’s me.” The back of his neck was sweating just from the way the guy had worded his question.

 

“I need you to come with me,” the officer reached out take his wrist and a cold sweat slipped down his spine.

 

“Where?” Hongbin asked, eyes narrowed and brow furrowed. No one else had been taken somewhere private for their questioning.

 

“Down to the department,” Ravi blanched, panic bubbling up his throat. The department? As in the Police Department? As in why the hell would he need to go there? “We have some questions we need to ask you in private.”

 

His throat had gone dry and he could feel himself beginning to shake. “Why? What’s wrong with here? Is he under arrest?” Hongbin’s face was growing red with anger toward the man.

 

“No, we just need to have him answer some questions.” The officer repeated and Ravi reached out for Hongbin’s hand, squeezing it tightly before his friend could go on the defensive again.

 

“Hongbin-ah, it’s okay.” It wasn’t okay, he didn’t want to go. “I’ll go.” He nodded toward the officer and gave one more look toward his friend. Hongbin’s face nearly broke his heart, anger melting into miserable concern and worry. “Don’t worry Bin-ah. It’s just some questions right?” But he didn’t feel confident at all that it would be just some questions. Tears pricked the corners of Hongbin’s eyes and Ravi wanted to die inside. “It’s going to be okay.” But was it?


	14. Chapter 14 [M]

“Please state your name for the record.” Officer Jung folded his hands on the table.

 

There was a long pause, almost uncomfortably long. “Jung Taekwoon.”

 

The young officer put on his best hard face, staring down the poker faced man across from him in the interview room. They’d been there 20 minutes already, staring each other down. The singer had sat nearly motionless with a blank expression on his face for the entirety of it. “Could you tell me about your movements in the theatre between the end of the first act and the arrival of the police.”

 

Taekwoon kept his stare locked onto a spot on the wall over the officer’s shoulder and considered his answer. He knew what this was about “I went to grab a water. I walked through the hall. I went to my dressing room.”

 

“Did you see anyone during this time.”

 

“I saw a lot of people.”

 

“Anyone specific.”

 

Another pause, Taekwoon’s eyes slid to the table and he frowned sternly at it. “Kim Ravi-ssi was waiting in my dressing room. We exchanged a few words and then one of the stylists came in.”

 

It was too quiet in the room, too sterile and too quiet. How long had it been? Ravi’s finger tapped out a nervous and quick beat against the table. The single adornment of the room, a clock, told him that it had only been 10 minutes since he’d last checked the time. It’d felt like 3 hours. How long were they allowed to keep him there? Days? Weeks? Forever? They hadn’t even told him why he was there, other than for questions. But what about? He didn’t even know what had happened. They’d told him that he wasn’t under arrest and that it was just some questions that weren’t suited to public venue, but it felt a whole lot different sitting in that room.

 

His nerves were shot, everything was too bright, too intense and he knew it was his own mind giving him too much adrenaline. Could they monitor his heart rate in the room? It must have been beating like a drum. What was taking so long? More than anything the suspense was killing him. Did Hongbin make it home alright? Was Taekwoon okay? Just what the fuck had happened at the theatre? The single glass of water he’d been provided sat empty on the table after he’d downed it all in one shot.

 

Another hour and he was still waiting there. The heel of his shoe tapped out a staccato beat as his restlessness translated throughout his body, fingers building shape upon shape with each other just to have something to do. He nearly jumped out of his seat as the door to the interview room swung open, a man in just a shirt, jacket and jeans walked in, a shoulder holster just barely showing under his jacket. “Evening,” he sat down opposite Ravi and set a file on the table. “I’m Lieutenant Detective Oh Soryong.”

 

“Hi,” Ravi’s throat was killing him, his eyes darted from the man to the file to the door to the clock and then back to the man. “Hi,” he repeated, setting his hands flat on the table to try and keep them from nervously moving too much. “Am I in trouble?” Shit, wasn’t that one of the things he wasn’t supposed to ask? He couldn’t remember any of the bad cop dramas his mom had made him watch growing up.

 

“Have you done something that would get you in trouble?” Officer Oh asked and Ravi shook his head furiously. The man cracked a small nearly gentle smile and tapped at a pin on his chest. “I’m going to record this conversation, is that alright?”

 

“Uh, yeah, that’s fine.” The room was getting hotter, he was almost sure of it. Why was he so nervous? A feeling like something clogging his chest sat on him, and he tried to breathe deeply through his nose to relax his heartbeat.

 

“You’re not under arrest, but know that you don’t have to answer any questions you don’t wish to, and you may, if you choose, have someone present with you. Do you understand?” Ravi nodded slowly, it sounded so serious. “Would you please state your name?” the officer opened the file but held it up facing him so Ravi couldn’t see anything inside of it.

 

“K-kim Wonsik, um but I go by Ravi most of the time.” Did that make him sound suspicious?

 

“Alright, Ravi,” another gentle smile from the lieutenant, “Could you tell me where you were during the intermission at the show tonight?”

 

Had something happened backstage? Ravi nodded before wetting his lips, “I went backstage to see a friend.” Was he supposed to say boyfriend? Were they dating? He wasn’t sure, it sort of felt like they were. “I had a pass, Taekwoon-ah gave it to me,” he added hastily in case the detective thought he’d snuck back there uninvited.

 

“Taekwoon-ah would be Jung Taekwoon, the musical’s star, is that correct? He was your friend backstage?” Lieutenant Oh marked down a few things in his folder.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“And did you see him backstage?”

 

“Yeah, I waited in his dressing room for, I don’t know, ten minutes?” Ravi racked his brain to try and find details, it had all just sort of been a blur. He could remember seeing a few people in the hallway but then it was just the dressing room.

 

“Were you alone in the dressing room?”

 

“Until Taekwoon-ah showed up, yes.” He nodded his head along and felt some of his hackles slowly smoothing out.

 

“Did you see anyone else in the dressing room besides Jung Taekwoon-ssi?” the man kept noting things down and it made Ravi’s palms itch.

 

“Taekwoon-ah showed up and then maybe a minute or two later one of the make up people did to do a touch up. I didn’t want to be in the way so I left and ran into Manager Hakyeon in the hallway.” And by then Hakyeon had already been upset by something, Ravi thought.

 

“And after that?” The Lieutenant prompted.

 

“You want to tell me again how your ‘prop’ was used to shoot him twice, once in the head, once in the heart? Would you like to see the pictures? I promise you they are very real.” The officer interviewing Taekwoon was up and bent over the table to stare down the singer. Even as the other man got in his face, Taekwoon kept his stern stare, mouth just a firm line.

 

“We didn’t use a real gun. It couldn’t have been mine.”

 

“It was found in your dressing room. And the gun you claim to have dropped off at the prop table has mysteriously gone missing. You really expect me to buy that?” Agitation crept up the officer’s voice and he sneered down at the singer. “Were you jealous? Losing your edge? The understudy outshining the star in rehearsals?”

 

“I did drop off my prop gun at the table. And he was my co-worker, nothing more.” Taekwoon’s voice was flat and quiet, under the table his hand trembled in a tight fist.

 

“I went back to my seat to wait.” Ravi explained,  “An officer made an announcement to the theatre and then my roommate Hongbin-ah found me. We stood around and talked until the same officer came to ask me to come here.” He hadn’t missed anything, he was sure.

 

“At any point did you see Kim Woobin-ssi backstage or otherwise?”

 

The movie actor? Oh, right, he was playing the role of the cop in the musical, the one from the final act. “You mean other than on stage?” Ravi wasn’t trying to be cheeky, he just didn’t want to say the wrong thing. “I don’t think so. I don’t think I saw him when I went backstage.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

For a second Ravi pulled at his lip in thought. Had he? When he’d gone back he’d only been thinking about seeing Taekwoon. But Kim Woobin was one of the only other names he’d recognized in the program so he thought he’d have remembered seeing him. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure.”

 

Lieutenant Oh pulled a picture from the file and slid it across to Ravi. “Did you see this in the dressing room?” It was Taekwoon’s prop gun sitting in the corner of his dressing room’s closet.

 

“No,” Ravi shook his head again, “but I didn’t look in the closet when I was in there. Was someone shot?” His eyes went wide at the thought, but that was ridiculous, it was just a prop. They wouldn’t use a live gun for the show.

 

“Kim Woobin-ssi was murdered tonight, Ravi.”

 

“Tell me again, take me through the steps one more time.” It would be the fifth time Taekwoon went back over his motions for the evening, but the officer had a fierce look in his eyes and was relentless.

 

“I finished my scene with Woobin-ah. Exited the stage, left my prop on the table. I went to fetch a water then went to my dressing room. I spoke with Kim Ravi-ssi and got my make make up re-done. Manager Hakyeon came in and demanded that everyone gather in the hall. The police informed us of the incident and we were told to wait there. I was then brought here.” His voice was flat, empty of tone as he went over it. “Do you intend to arrest me?”

 

“You’ll find out.” The officer glared at him and met his stare pound for pound before exiting the room loudly. Taekwoon let out a breath and shut his eyes, trying to get the tension out of his body, but he seemed to be made of rigid stress.

 

It was maybe another ten minutes before the man came back into room, red in the face. “You’re free to go.” They seemed to be the last words he wanted to say, but Taekwoon couldn’t care less. His face was pure stone, carved into an expressionless mask to hide his rising panic inside him. “Follow me.” They left the interview rooms and walked back to the main lobby of the department. “Keep yourself available during the investigation, it looks bad when suspects run.”

 

Taekwoon gave only a curt nod before turning away from the Officer and moving toward one of the people behind the main counter. “Has Kim Ravi been released yet?” He asked one of the men behind the counter. The memory of that blue hair in the back of a police car when he’d been escorted to another burned a hole in his gut, his fist was trembling again.

 

“I’m sorry but no one by that name has come in tonight.” the uniformed officer didn’t even make eye contact with him while he tapped away at his keyboard checking the logs. Right, Taekwoon frowned and darted his eyes to the floor. Ravi wasn’t his real name. It was… he had no idea. Wons--something, before Hongbin had caught himself that morning.

 

“I’ll wait.” he took a seat in the little lounge on one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs, face blank as he stared toward the wall.

 

“Are you fucking serious?” Ravi pushed back from the table, the chair he was sitting in scraped along the floor as he stood and backed away. Murdered? At the theatre? It must have been. Backstage? Why else would he be being asked about… A thought hit him like a ton of bricks and he slumped to the ground, back pressed against the wall. “Am I… am I a suspect?” His mouth could barely form the words.

 

“Until we have more facts we’re not prepared to label anyone a suspect.” the man said it flatly, a company disclaimer that was hardly believable. Meanwhile, Ravi’s brain spun its wheels in the mud. Murder? How could he possibly be a suspect for murder? The most violent he’d ever got were a couple of fights in high school and the occasional wrestle with Hongbin. He wasn’t even sure he could hold a real gun, let alone point it at anyone and pull the trigger. “Do you have any other information that could help us with the investigation at this time?”

 

The words bounced around in his head, almost sounding tinny. He merely shook his head, eyes wide and glossy with shock. “That’s all for now. This concludes the interview with Kim Wonsik. Please keep yourself available while the investigation is ongoing.” Because he was a suspect, Ravi’s stomach dropped to his knees. “I’ll send an officer in to see you out.”

 

It was another 15 minutes before anyone came by to see to him, Ravi was still huddled on the floor knees pulled up to his chest. “Kim Wonsik?” The officer from the theatre stepped into the room. “Come with me, I’ll take you to the lobby.” He pushed himself off the floor, eyes nearly dead with their blank look. A spreading numbness had started taking his body starting from his chest. On auto-pilot he followed the man out.

 

He was left in the lobby, standing there, empty as the officer left with all expedience. Which station was he even at? He’d have to take a cab home. What was his address again? His Hongbin would know. Was Hongbin okay? How long had it been? His phone, he patted at his pockets before a flash of his pillows reminded him he’d thrown it aside earlier in the night. Even his mind was slowly shutting down.

 

“Ravi-yah?” a soft voice just barely cut through the haze in his mind. Ravi turned blankly and was caught by a pair of strong arms wrapping around him, pulling him close. Taekwoon. What was Taekwoon doing there? His hands came up automatically, gripping tight to the back of Taekwoon’s jacket while he buried his face into the man’s chest. “Come with me.” No, he didn’t want to move, he wanted to stay there wrapped up in him. But he followed quietly as Taekwoon put an arm around his waist and pulled him out of the station.

 

“What are you doing here, Taekwoon-ah?” the air outside the station was chilly, it bit into his cheeks but he could barely feel it. There came no answer but he wasn’t entirely paying attention either. A tug at his waist ushered him toward a cab that had magically appeared. (Had Taekwoon flagged it down? What was he doing there?) The warmth inside the car didn’t get past him anymore than the cold did. Taekwoon rattled off an address, how did he remember where they lived?

 

It wasn’t until he was being pulled from the cab that he realized it wasn’t his building they’d gone to. This one was nicer, cleaner, the buildings around it were also nice and clean. Taekwoon, it must have been his. Something about it made his heart lift a little, even through all the fog in his mind. Taekwoon’s.

 

He let himself be led by the waist, Taekwoon directing them to an elevator with a glass back, so he could watch the city grow more distant from his feet as they shot up 25 floors. Glittering lights in the darkness. It seemed more empty than he could ever remember it looking. His fingers reached out and smeared across the glass, he didn’t notice the smudges he left there.

 

Taekwoon’s condo was nothing like his apartment. Spacious and wide, with matching furniture sets and an honest to god dining table. Nicely trimmed walls and cabinets, wide open windows. How had he not run screaming from Hongbin and his little apartment? Taekwoon didn’t bother turning the lights on, they just stood side by side at the windows, watching, but his brain was beginning to thaw.

 

“Taekwoon-ah,” the man beside him continued to stare out at the city. It was the first time Ravi really looked at him since they’d met at the station. Rigid, tense, his face looked neutral but Ravi could see the way his arm shook with something held back, hand tight in a fist by his side. Like everything was being just held back by a thread, all that cool collected calm a line waiting to break. “Taekwoon-ah, are you okay?”

 

Those eyes that Ravi had been so entranced with for months turned to him and he could see something churning in them. Even as Taekwoon nodded his affirmation, he knew it wasn’t true. He wasn’t fine. “Taekwoon-ah.” And it was like watching a bridge with too much weight break, the eyes first, lowering before a wash of misery went over his face before he lowered his head to Ravi’s shoulder.

 

“I don’t want to think.” Taekwoon’s soft voice seemed loud in the silent room. Soft lips brushed against Ravi’s jaw and his eyes fluttered shut. Gentle hands, more than he thought they would be, reached up to cup his face as those perfect lips slid lightly over his cheek, kissing the corner of his mouth, just a hint of need and desperation tucked behind the soft overture. It was a request, a request to have the now rather than what had already been made of their evening.

 

A request Ravi was willing to accept, his hand sliding up Taekwoon’s spine to run his fingers through his hair even while the other one began nudging the other man’s jacket off his shoulder. Their lips met, gently at first, a soft glide of touch and feel before turning deeper, nips and licks pulling guttural groans from them both.

 

Clothes trailed behind them as Taekwoon pulled him toward his bedroom, his hungry mouth swallowing Ravi’s panting breaths. Hands exploring wide expanses of smooth muscle and skin. Taekwoon hid a set of milky skinned broad shoulders and a wide defined chest under his clothes that made Ravi want to tease his tongue over them.

 

He couldn’t even see the bedroom properly before Taekwoon had him on his back against the soft covers of his bed, his whole vision narrowed down to Taekwoon’s half lidded eyes, clouded with need above him. Their lips met again, desperate tongues roaming against each other while the older man pulled Ravi’s belt free, skillfully unclasping his pants to reach in and palm him over his boxers. It was almost embarrassing how painfully hard he was.

 

The last of their clothes pooled at the foot of the bed while Taekwoon reached into a drawer on his nightstand, pulling out a foil wrapped condom and tube of lube. Ravi could feel his heart pound faster and he wet his lips slowly as he took in the full glory of one naked Taekwoon. All perfect milk white skin over a form made of length, legs, arms, and his hard cock.

 

The dark haired singer poured a generous amount of lube onto two fingers and leaned down to press his mouth against Ravi’s throat, teeth just scraping against the skin while one finger slid between Ravi’s spread legs to tease at the tight ring of his hole. Gentle, almost playfully soft while his lips sucked harshly at his neck. The contrast was driving him crazy and he let out a needy whimper.

 

Taekwoon took his time teasing him open, fingers nudging against him until they could slip inside. The feeling of being filled made him groan again. Slowly, they began thrust, reaching in him to find that bundle of nerves that made him ache. His lips came under assault by Taekwoon’s again as he yelled out when those fingers connected with his prostate, it felt like drowning in the very best way. The coil inside him spun tighter.

 

But still the older man went at his own pace, spreading him open, scissoring his fingers to get him used to it before sliding a third digit in and thrusting more. “Please,” Ravi moaned into Taekwoon’s mouth and shifted his hips down to take more of his fingers into him, “please just do it.”

 

As if he’d been waiting to be asked, Taekwoon pulled his fingers from him with a wet  _ squelch _ and Ravi could feel himself contract with the need to be filled again. A soft tearing sound drew his attention and his eyes fluttered to watch as the other man rolled the condom onto his stiff member. Instinctually, he spread his legs wider when Taekwoon moved between them.

 

“Ahhhhhh,” Ravi whined softly, eyes shutting, as Taekwoon thrust into him slowly, inch by inch until he was sheathed inside him, waiting until the ring of his opening adjusted to the girth of him. Gentle kisses were pressed against his eyelids as his partner started moving faster, hips rolling so that the head of his cock knocked into his prostate with each push forward. The coil inside him wound tighter and his arms came up to wrap around Taekwoon’s neck as each time he lifted his hips to meet him he gave another gasp.

 

His eyes shot open as he felt a hand wrap around the base of his dick. Above him Taekwoon’s eyes were shut, lashes contrasting with his cheeks, mouth parted just slightly as his breath became heavier. Ravi couldn’t hold back the mewl of pleasure as Taekwoon began pumping him in time with his thrusts. It was too much and his stomach tightened before the coil snapped and his orgasm hit him, head thrown back into the pillows, his cum spurting out to coat both of their chests.

 

It tore a groan out of Taekwoon’s chest as he pumped into him three more times, harder than he had before he too gasped loudly, body shuddering with the feel of his own orgasm. He gave a few more thrusts before pulling out, one arm propping him above Ravi while the other held onto the base of his condom. Feverish lips pressed against his, moving, rubbing in the moonlight from the window.

 

Taekwoon’s eyes were heavy as he sat up, removing the plastic from his shrinking member and tying off the end. Wordlessly, he passed off a handful of tissues to Ravi as he got up to dispose of the used protector.

 

Ravi merely panted for air, eyes shut, mindlessly wiping himself clean. He felt boneless, numb, but not in the way he had before. A warm sort of glow sat in his chest as he blew out each breath. When Taekwoon came back and rolled him to the side to slide the covers back, he let himself be maneuvered. His body was utterly content curving against Taekwoon’s, wrapping an arm over his chest as he snuggled in. 

 

He thought he heard his name but his mind was already shutting down, cozily falling into a deep sleep that he thought he’d never have again.


	15. Chapter 15

The sun was coming up, soft rays of light just breaking the skyline, filtering in through a low winter cloud cover. Through the single window that would never be clean because the building’s exterior hadn’t been washed in ages, the light fell around the lone figure of Hongbin, seated on the floor of their apartment, staring at his phone on the coffee table. Had he slept? He couldn’t remember, though his bloodshot eyes seemed to indicate he’d been up too long or perhaps cried.

 

For once it was his own clothes that cluttered the tiny living area, his coat was haphazardly tossed over the couch along with his jacket and tie dangling off the edge of the table, the shirt he’d worn to the theatre was untucked and wrinkled but he didn’t care. His hair stood up and back in tufts from his restless hands having combed through it to within an inch of his life. A part of him knew it was useless staring at his phone, it wasn’t going to ring until it was going to. It had taken him nearly 7 calls to Ravi’s hand phone before he realized the muffled jingle coming from their bedroom had been coming from the intended device. Of course, he forgets his phone on that night in particular.

 

Still, he’d been expecting something, a call from the station maybe? Did they still have him there? They hadn’t even told him what station they were being taken to. His gut sank further as the memory came back to him. Rushing through the still crowded theatre once the shock of watching Ravi getting taken had faded enough for him to move. But all he’d seen when he’d made it to the exit was Taekwoon glaring at an officer while he was placed into the back seat of a car. God, he’d actually tried running after it, like his legs could carry him fast enough to keep up.

 

And no one had been told anything about what had happened. Hongbin had hung around the theatre for another hour to try and find out, but the company line was they were ‘investigating an incident, your cooperation and assistance is appreciated.’ And all he’d got back from sending texts to the Manager Hakyeon had been that something terrible had happened, a disaster, a catastrophe, the very worst thing. The only sense of comfort he’d been able to find was knowing that both Ravi and Taekwoon were alive.

 

The light on his phone flicked on and he had it in his hands before the ringtone even had a chance to start. An unknown number flashed on the touch screen and swiped his finger across it to answer. “Hello? Ravi-yah? Ravi-yah, is that you?” All the sense of dread and worry that had been boiling inside him all night spilled through.

 

“Bin-ah.” Relief washed through Hongbin, wave after wave of it until he slumped back against the wall and slid down, his neck just barely propping his head up while his body splayed on the floor. He held the phone to his chest and sighed loudly. “Hongbinnie, are you there?”

 

“Yes, I’m here, I’m here.” He brought the phone back up but didn’t bother correcting his posture. “Ravi-yah, are you okay? Where are you? Do you need me to come get you? What did the police want? Are you alright? Are you hurt? I’ll come get you, tell me where you are.” There wasn’t a way for him to stop babbling. “I was so worried, I am so worried. Please tell me your okay, Wonsikie.”

 

The voice at the other end of the line gave a soft sort of laugh, but it sounded so worn. “I’m alright, Binnie. I’m with Taekwoon-ah. Last night, I can’t remember what time it was when I got out of questioning but Taekwoon-ah was there too. We ended up back at his place. I’m sorry I didn’t have my phone, I’m using his. We’re on our way to the apartment, but I thought I should let you know. What?” Hongbin could just barely hear another voice in the background, but it was surely Taekwoon’s. “Taekwoon-ah says to save his number.”

 

“I will,” Hongbin had to bite his tongue from asking even more questions, that was probably the last thing Ravi needed. It was enough to know that he was safe, and that he was on his way home. “Tell Taekwoon-ah I’m glad he’s alright, will you?” he added as well. They were both okay, Hongbin felt like he could sleep for days knowing that exhaustion from the night long vigil finally hitting him. “Have you ate? Should I make something?” Like rice, he thought dryly, plus he wasn’t sure that he was going to be able to function enough for making anything.

 

There was another muffled sound and he heard Ravi relay his message, though he didn’t expect anything back considering what he’d learned of Taekwoon. “We’re going to get something for all of us on the way. It shouldn’t take long, we’ll drop by my convenience shop. I want to tell Eunchan-ssi that I might not be in tomorrow.”

 

“Okay, I’ll,” Hongbin glanced around the room, at the mess he’d made of their tiny space in the span of one night, “be here when you get here.” He needed to clean. “Wonsikie,” his deep voice went quiet, ‘ _ I love you.’ _ was what he wanted to say, “I’m so glad you’re okay. Come back quickly and safely, okay?”

 

“We’ll be there soon. Thank you for worrying about me, Bin-ah.” A pause drifted between them, silence waiting to be filled but left empty. “I’m hanging up now,” and the line clicked dead. Hongbin laid the phone on his chest again and took a few deep breaths. It was okay, everything was going to be okay, the words were on repeat in his head.

 

His eyes wanted to shut, but he knew if he did then he was at terrible risk to sleep. All the frantic energy that had kept him awake was slowly ebbing, but he pulled in a reserve of it so that he could be there to greet them. “Hongbin, get up, you lazy bastard, the living room is a mess,” his words bounced around the room to try and encourage himself, but the floor seemed so much more inviting than moving.

 

With a stretch of his limbs up into the air he slapped the ground at his sides and pushed himself up into a sitting position before crawling to his feet. Standing took too much effort, but the state of the room was starting to get to him. “Who do you think you are, Hongbin? Wonsik?” The dumb joke was enough to get him to smile and get started picking up his discarded clothes and straightening the cushions on the couch. At least it was something to do keep his mind occupied.

 

When the lock strip chimed he was already setting out dishes and chopsticks on their little coffee table. A few dishes of their normal kimchi and rice as well, because he had needed more to do. Cleaning such a small place had taken less time than he’d planned. “I’m home,” Ravi called out as the door slid open, slipping out of his shoes with a convenience bag over his arm. Behind him Taekwoon ducked his head in a small greeting as he entered.

 

Hongbin waited all of five seconds before he launched himself at Ravi, arms wrapping around his friend and holding tight. “You’re so stupid, I’m so mad at you, how could you leave your phone at home?” The words tumbled out of his mouth even while he clung tighter, it was hardly the welcome he’d thought of giving. “I was so worried!” Ravi’s hand came up and stroked down his back but Hongbin merely dropped his head onto his shoulder and hugged him harder before letting go. “Sorry,” he offered a pathetic sort of smile, “I don’t know what came over me.”

 

“I’m sorry too, Bin-ah,” but Ravi was smiling at him and lifted a hand to run through Hongbin’s already disheveled hair. “You look like shit, have you been up all night???” He grabbed Hongbin’s face and peered at him. “You didn’t sleep at all, did you, your eyes are all red. Idiot, why did you do that?”

 

“Yah!” Hongbin batted at his hands and pulled a face of annoyance, “I told you I was worried, idiot.” And two seconds later they were grinning at each other. “Go put your food out.” Hongbin gestured to the table by the couch before squeezing Ravi’s hand tightly once and letting go.

 

He turned to Taekwoon and offered a smile, dimples popping out. It surprised him when the older man leaned closer to press a light kiss against his lips, and also ran a hand through his hair before pulling back with the same deadpan face he always had. Though all three of them knew that both roommates were seeing the singer, it’d never come across when they were all together. “Taekwoon-ah, I was worried about you too.” Hongbin admitted, drawing his lower lip in under his teeth. “I saw them take you from the theatre. I,” he offered a self-deprecating laugh, “I tried to chase after the car.”

 

“Sorry I didn’t call.” Taekwoon kissed him again, on the cheek. “Thank you for worrying about me, Hongbin-ah.” A warmness settled into Hongbin’s chest and he ushered the other man the five paces it took to get to the living area where Ravi was already setting out a pile of triangle kimbap and ddeokboki.

 

For a moment he just watched as Taekwoon made his way to settle at the table, while Ravi bustled around it before plopping down at his spot. A week ago they’d been in the exact same places, but so much had already changed. It almost made his heart hurt to realize how much he liked them there, all three of them, sharing a meal in their tiny cramped space. Even if it was convenience food. A small smile tipped his lips up and he walked to the mini counter in their kitchen to bring over glasses and a carafe of coffee.

 

Conversation was at a minimum during breakfast, the elephant in the room stood unaddressed but it seemed that was how they all wanted it to stay. Murder and death was hardly the way any of them wanted to start their morning.

 

“Hongbin-ah?” Ravi eventually reached over the table to nudge his friend whose eyes were drooped almost shut. He set his chopsticks down with a gentle click and stood to walk around the small set. “Who do you think you are, Bin-ah? Me?” He laughed at his own dumb joke and reached down to help his friend stand. “Hongbins require at least six hours of sleep every day, you know that. It said so right in your user’s manual.” It was a testament to how sleepy the other boy must have been because he didn’t even pretend to protest being led to the bedroom. “It’ll just be a minute,” Ravi assured Taekwoon over his shoulder.

 

The bed was still made, exactly the way he’d seen the previous day when he’d tossed his phone under the pillow. Said traitorous phone was sitting on top of said traitorous pillow, but that wasn’t important at that moment. Hongbin was all but already half passed out by the time he got him to the bed; it was going to be difficult getting him to change into pajamas. “No sleeping yet, Bin-ah, let’s get you changed first.” Ravi moved to his friends extremely organized side of the closet and easily plucked out a pair of sleep pants and a tank top. By the time he’d turned around his friend had already stripped out of his shirt and was working at the catch of his pants.

 

They got him changed quick enough and Ravi pulled back the bedding so Hongbin could settle in, a rare chance to use the middle of the bed rather than his side, arms over the spread but the rest of him practically hiding underneath. “Glad you’re okay, Wonsikie.” His friend mumbled sleepily before tucking his chin over the covers.

 

“Go to sleep, Bin-ah.” Ravi smiled and smoothed a hand over the other boy’s forehead. Maybe Hongbin was pretending to be him though; Ravi had never seen his friend drop into sleep so quickly. Already he could see his breaths evening out, the worry line that had been stubbornly resting between his eyes all morning smoothed out. It was until he saw the shadow over the bed that he realized Taekwoon had entered the room as well. “Sorry,” Ravi whispered, looking up from his spot sitting on the side of the bed, “took longer than expected.”

 

But the other man only shook his head, “you love him.”

 

“Well, yeah, he’s my best friend. And look at him, nearly worried himself sick and he wasn’t even in trouble. You should have seen him last night, I thought he was going to fight a cop for me.” Ravi grinned and shrugged, missing the meaning of the tone Taekwoon had used. “I don’t think he’d have even been so upset if it happened to him.” It made him almost guilty, he’d been so shocked and paranoid. “I’m lucky.

 

“Hey, Taekwoon-ah, I don’t want him to wake up alone.” Ravi glanced down at his sleeping friend and back toward the other man. “I think I’m going to stay here with him, okay? Will you be okay? I don’t know what you had planned for the day since the… well you know.” Ravi didn’t want to ruin the moment by mentioning the murder.

 

To his great surprise, Taekwoon simply edged around to the other side of the bed and lied down next to Hongbin on his side, above the covers. “Okay,” was all he replied before motioning for Ravi to take up the other side of the sleeping boy. Ravi blinked a few times at his boldness, but couldn’t find the words to say. He waited for any sort of prick of jealousy that someone he shared the night with would so easily lie down next to someone else, but instead found only a warmth of gratitude that it seemed Taekwoon cared that much about Hongbin.

 

Ravi stood and just smiled with a nod, shifting around the room to fetch clothes that were more comfortable. A moments pause as he considered, but Taekwoon had already seen him bare ass naked. So, he changed in the room and tossed both his and Hongbin’s clothes into their small hamper. When he looked back, Taekwoon was propped up on his side watching Hongbin’s face silently. “Will you be able to sleep?” Ravi asked quietly, crawling back into the bed on the other side, getting under the covers as well. Being able to sleep was never a matter of question for Ravi.

 

“Doesn’t matter.” Taekwoon reached over to pull the covers up higher around Ravi, hand resting against his cheek for a moment before slipping back toward his side. On natural instinct, Ravi drew one arm out from under the blanket and reached to catch the retreating hand. He wove the fingers together and lifted his brows at the other man to see if it was alright. When Taekwoon didn’t pull away though, he smiled, and settled their linked fingers over one of Hongbin’s hands. “Go to sleep, Wonsik-ah.” It was only as his eyes were falling shut that he realized Taekwoon had called him by his real name. He kind of liked it.


	16. Chapter 16

They slept for a few hours, Taekwoon watched the wall display count away the time. It wasn’t until maybe between the first and second hour that he’d finally drifted into a light sleep or maybe it just felt like sleeping, that strange twilight area where actual unconsciousness and resting seemed to cross. He just kept slipping in and out what might have been sleep or maybe just an ignorance of time passing.

 

When his eyes weren’t shut he watched the two others with him gravitate toward each other in sleep. The bed they all shared was already alarmingly small, requiring both himself and Ravi to nestle close to Hongbin in order to even stay on the mattress; it wasn’t made for three people. But in sleep he watched the way Ravi wrapped himself around the worn out photographer, a leg sliding over Hongbin’s and burying his face into the other man’s shoulder. At some point, Hongbin’s hand had turned over and wrapped his fingers over Taekwoon and Ravi’s linked ones. He’d shifted subtly so that his back was pressed against Ravi’s front, the same as he’d seen a week ago.

 

Though Taekwoon didn’t mind because it gave him a good view of both of their faces. So different from each other that he had to wonder at himself for being so taken with each of them. They both slept like it was a commodity they couldn’t always keep, and it was interesting to see how deep they fell. Ravi had the same look he’d had the night previous, the outside world stopped existing for him; he slept like the dead. Hongbin kept his thoughts closer to the surface, he could watch the way lines would form and smooth out between his brows, or his jaw clench, tiny ticks of movement to to telegraph his dreams.

 

He saw it when he woke, awareness before his eyes opened. Cautiously, those eyes opened to meet and widened at the sight of him, trailing up till they met Taekwoon’s own. “Taekwoon-ah?” the question was barely a whisper and Hongbin kept blinking those giant doe eyes as if that would be enough to change what he saw. “What are you doing here?” The boy asked before his memory caught up with his thoughts. “How long have I been asleep?” Neither of them made a move to get off the bed though.

 

Taekwoon took another glance at their wall read out before he lowered himself to rest his head against the pillow Hongbin was using, staring deep into those eyes. “Almost four hours.” There was a soft blush that crept up the other man’s cheeks at the new closeness, and Taekwoon was glad to see that he was looking better from the disaster he’d been that morning. “Still tired? You look a little better.”

 

Hongbin offered a slow head shake, careful to not displace Ravi too much. There was something he wanted to say, Taekwoon could seem him mulling it over in his head but nearly biting his tongue to keep himself from saying anything. Instead he forces a smile, “Are you alright, Taekwoon-ah? Did you sleep too?”

 

“You can ask about it.” It was obvious from the way Hongbin’s eyes turned down that he’d hit on what the tongue biting had been for. “You want to know, right?” He lifted his hand lazily to brush the boy’s hair out of his face. The worry line that had plagued his face had returned upon waking, forming a crease between his brows. “Someone was killed.” The boy’s gaze shot back up to stare at him wide eyed, mouth forming into a soft ‘o’ in shock.

 

It took a minute, Taekwoon could all but see the gears grinding to a halt and then restarting inside Hongbin’s mind. Whatever he’d been thinking, it hadn’t been that. “Who?” he asked, eyes earnest before shaking his head. “No, not in here,” a soft glance back toward his sleeping roommate, he was worried about waking him, more worried about making him think about it. But they were all going to have to think about it eventually. “Out there, we can let Ravi-yah sleep.” Still, Taekwoon nods, and pulls his hand back from twining with Ravi’s, watches as it curls tighter around Hongbin’s. “I’ll…” Hongbin offered a sheepish smile and avoided eye contact, “I’ll need a second to escape.”

 

Taekwoon nodded, thinking he understood and left first, the bedroom door swishing behind him. The remnants of breakfast were scattered on their coffee table, half eaten bowls of food and empty cups. It was strange almost, as someone who lived alone, Taekwoon was always the kind to clean up after he’d finished, but this almost gave the small room a home like feeling. They must have spent so many meals together huddled on the floor with their tiny table between them. It was becoming clearer to him, they must have always slept in the same bed, the first time he’d seen it had been a surprise but the way Ravi slid right into the covers near Hongbin confirmed it, along with the way they settled into each other so easily.

 

What was it like? Having someone who was constantly around, a best friend as Ravi had put it. (Though he was convinced that there were more than just friendly feelings on the blue haired boys side. The way he looked at Hongbin’s face, the guilty look he’d had when he’d asked to borrow Taekwoon’s phone, the clinginess he showed in sleep when he wasn’t aware anyone else could see.) To Taekwoon, it always seemed like it would be such a hassle to have someone always in his business, to never have the opportunity for blessed peace and quiet and space. He could only imagine that became worse with such a cramped space. They’d all but trip over each other if they were both carrying anything bigger than a pack. Just standing at their singular window with its limited view made Taekwoon realize the difference between that and his own spacious look at the city.

 

“Sorry for making you wait,” Hongbin slid out of their bedroom, ducking his head in a quick apology. A look of annoyance passed over his face, scrunching up his brows and making his lips twist into a sneer as he saw the leftovers from breakfast. “This’ll just take a minute,” already he’d started rounding up bowls and cups and utensils, “did you want something to drink? I could brew a fresh pot of coffee.” Taekwoon only offered a nod. “Ravi-yah never cleans up,” he carried what he could to the sink, speaking over the running water, “I should have taken care of this before I went to sleep.” Another face that spoke of the distaste for letting things sit around. Was this how they were? Hongbin picking up after them both?

 

“Did you really stay up all night?” Taekwoon settled onto their couch, it had an odd quality of being both too stiff and too soft at the same time. It was a marvel of furniture engineering that he wasn’t sure could be duplicated. “If you did, then you shouldn’t have even worried about breakfast or cleaning up.” A frown worked its way across Taekwoon’s face, maybe he thought he didn’t want someone always in his business, but was it envy he felt that Hongbin would stay up all night worrying over Ravi?

 

“He would have done the same for me,” it was such an automatic response, and so sure as well. Hongbin tipped his head back from behind the kitchen cabinet and smiled brightly, it nearly lit up the room. “Ravi-yah would make himself go crazy if something like that happened to me.” There was almost something like pride in the way he nodded, knowing that Ravi would have him in mind, but also something softer in his eyes. Was it that Hongbin was the same as his roommate? “I got so mad last night,” Hongbin propped himself against the counter, (bare) arms folded over his chest, “they wouldn’t tell me anything, and then they wouldn’t explain to Wonsikie-- er, Ravi-yah why he needed to go with them.” A wave of horror overtook his face as the coffee machine chimed. “They don’t think he had anything to do with the death, do they?”

  
“I don’t know.” They hadn’t spoken about why they’d both been at the police station, but he could hazard a guess. “I imagine so, that’s why I was taken there.” Hongbin padded his way over to the table with two mugs in hand. “Anyone backstage was probably questioned, though I didn’t see anyone else at the police station.” Taekwoon accepted one of the cups before tugging the other man down to sit next to him.

 

Hongbin brought his legs up and tucked his feet under him as Taekwoon draped an arm over his shoulders. “That’s crazy; you wouldn’t do something like that.” It wasn’t quite the same level of vehemence he’d shown on Ravi’s behalf, but the vote of confidence was appreciated. For a moment the brown haired boy could only stare into his coffee mug, before turning those wide eyes on him. “Can you tell me what happened?”

 

“After the first act ended,” Taekwoon started, piecing together what he’d been able to gather from his interview with the police and his own knowledge of the motions backstage. “Someone killed Kim Woobin-ssi.” Hongbin gasped again and frowned, “Up on the roof. You remember that the only access there is from the stairs back stage.” They were both familiar with it, having spent most of their time after hours at the theatre sitting there. “He was shot, twice, with a pistol that’s the same model as my prop. The gun turned up in my dressing room somehow and the real prop went missing. So I guess anyone who had access backstage is a suspect, and Ravi-yah came to see me during intermission so being in my dressing room didn’t help his case.” The rest was left unsaid.

 

“But they will find who really did it, won’t they?” Hongbin’s brows were drawn in tight in concentration. “There’s no way that Ravi-yah could have done it and I can’t imagine why anyone would think he could after meeting him. I bet he doesn’t even know who Kim Woobin-ssi is… was.” A moment passed as the things Taekwoon had said began to sink in. “They don’t think you did it, do they?” Taekwoon didn’t meet his eyes, but continued to stare out of the window as he nodded. “But why? Why would anyone kill him?”

 

He didn’t have an answer for that. “They guessed that I felt threatened by him as my understudy.” But just the other day he’d been speaking with the man in question, had even assured him that he’d do fine should the need arise for him to take the lead role. Of course, Taekwoon didn’t plan on that happening during the show’s run, but it seemed like such an inconsequential thing to try and kill a man over. “I think whoever did it wants it blamed on me.” Why else would they steal the original prop? Or stash the weapon in his room?

 

“I won’t let them,” but despite how determined Hongbin looked Taekwoon wasn’t sure what he could do to change it. “We just have to prove both of you couldn’t do it right?” Somehow, he felt that wasn’t going to be as simple as that. “If we can prove your positions when it happened then that’ll be that, right?” Neither of them noticed really when Hongbin moved his cheek to rest against Taekwoon’s shoulder. “Someone must’ve seen something.”

 

Taekwoon hissed out a small laugh before taking another sip from his mug. “You’ve watched too many crime dramas. I told them where I was during the full time frame of the intermission, but I don’t think they believed me.” His free hand began running through Hongbin’s hair, fingers tangling with the fine locks before smoothing out again. “I should call the other cast members, see if they’ve heard anything about it.” Did they think he did it? Jaehwan didn’t, if the stream of texts he’d received from the man was any indicator. Though why on earth would Jaehwan have ‘a great lawyer to recommend’ he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

 

“They’re probably worried about to you too.” But Taekwoon wasn’t so sure.

 

Silence kept them company for a little while, aside from the sound of Ravi’s snoring in the other room. Eventually he’d turned his head so his cheek rested atop Hongbin’s head, their fingers linked together quietly in his lap. It was comfort that the other boy offered, plain and simple. Here is a place to rest, if you want to. And Taekwoon began to feel like maybe the couch wasn’t so uncomfortable or the room too small.

 

“Taekwoon-ah,” Hongbin finally broke the silence but didn’t make a motion to move. “I believe you. About whatever you told the police? I believe you.”


	17. Chapter 17

Coffee House wasn’t very crowded and for once Ravi was glad for that. The busy hour had already run through it and all that was left were a few stragglers who didn’t have better places to be. Ravi didn’t want anyone overhearing them as they spoke but since his text messages to Hyuk had gone unanswered, they’d had to come to him. Punk was probably studying or something, that or somehow news of the case had already leaked to the media and people were cutting their ties with him.

 

He didn’t want to think about that. Couldn’t think about that. He wasn’t alone, he reminded himself aggressively. Eunchan had been nothing but supportive, even though he hadn’t given all the details to his boss. It had been enough to have the older man giving reassurances that no matter what, he was on Ravi’s side. And then there was Hongbin, even if he had committed a crime, Ravi was certain that Hongbin would have been on his side all the way to hell. Plus Taekwoon was in the mix just as much as he was, they were both a victim of circumstance, and Ravi was determined that they wouldn’t be trapped there.

 

“Oh look who shows up to flaunt his boyfriend to all of us who had to work today.” Hyuk announced his, Taekwoon, and Hongbin’s arrival to the rest of the staff. It had taken approximately a half hour after that first shared break before it had circulated inside the workers that Ravi had hooked up with his tall, dark, and mysterious latte customer and despite his attempts the correct that he wasn’t sure if they were dating (though it felt like it) the term ‘boyfriend’ had stuck. “Why would you come here on your day off, hyung?”

 

Feeling a little self conscious, Ravi ducked his head low to try and avoid suspicious looks he wasn’t getting. From what he’d picked up on the news, all that had been announced was that Kim Woobin had died at the theatre, cause was being ‘investigated’ and that the production was shut down for the time being. “You didn’t answer your texts,” he hissed accusingly while he waved Hongbin and Taekwoon back to the table in the rear of the store. The only one pulling any attention anywhere was Ravi himself. “No one’s dropped by, have they?” 

 

“I was working, hyung, you know we’re not supposed to have our phones on us.” Hyuk rolled his eyes but pulled his phone out of the apron pocket anyhow. “Jeez, eight missed messages, why didn’t you just call the work line?” Ravi blinked a few times while Hyuk’s cheesy little grin spread over his face, “you’re so funny sometimes.” He flicked through the messages that Ravi had left him. “Anyhow, yeah, someone came by looking for you but I told them you were off today.”

 

The saliva in his mouth dried up and if possible he ducked his head lower. “Who was it?” Visions of the police storming the cafe filtered into his head before he shook them away. That kind of shit only happened in dramas and comics. A feeling like he knew he was being ridiculous but couldn’t stop settled around his shoulders. Get a hold of yourself, Wonsik.

 

“I don’t know, one of those rapper guys that drop by every now and then.” Hyuk shrugged and leaned back against the counter, “Something about a no show last night? He seemed like a jerk. I challenged him to an impromptu rap battle but he wouldn’t go for it.” The boy giggled to himself and struck a pose, thumb and forefinger framing his chin, “Probably too scared cause he knew he was dealing with the real rap master.”

 

“Aish,” Ravi winced but chuckled as well. “If it was just that prick then that’s okay.” The thought of Hyuk throwing down in one of his ridiculous raps against him was hilarious though. If one bent out of shape sore loser was all he had to be concerned about, Ravi would have given a sigh of relief. Sadly, that wasn’t the case. “You’re off soon right? I could use your help with something.”

 

“Trouble in paradise?” Hyuk pursed his lips and tilted his head over to where Hongbin and Taekwoon were seated. “Your roommate zooming in on your territory, hyung?” Ravi laughed but it was a little empty; it felt something more like the other way around. With Taekwoon there all day, he hadn’t had the chance to tell Hongbin about the night he’d spent with him. It didn’t feel like he was hiding it, but neither did he like feeling as if he was maybe keeping it from him. Later, he promised himself; it wasn’t going to be weird, he hoped.

 

“No,” or well not exactly. It was complicated and he had bigger things on his plate than that. “Something way worse, whatever, just clock out, grab your book bag, and meet us over there okay?” He’d had to assure the others that Hyuk could be trusted not to leak any information before they’d agreed to talk with him about everything. Hyuk was studying criminology (or was it psychology? Sociology? Anthropology? One of those -ology things.) in school and as it stood, the only person Ravi could think of to go to for help.

 

“Ohhhh I get to meet Tall Double Shot Latte with Cat--” Ravi slapped a hand over Hyuk’s mouth before he could finish his words. Taekwoon was never allowed to know that he had such a ridiculous name for about six months around the coffee shop. The laughter in Hyuk’s eyes made him think that it was going to be a lot easier said than done keeping it from him though.

 

“His name’s Taekwoon, okay? Never say that other name again.” He gave the kid another warning look before shaking his head. “Oh and get me a double shot latte, milk tea, and jasmine tea before you clock out too. Stick it onto my account.” He’d worry about it later when their manager was sure to make a fuss about using the ‘personal’ account for friends orders.

 

It was a little weird, seeing both Taekwoon and Hongbin at the table that he’d shared with each of them individually but not together. But not weird in a bad way, the same as it’d been different to see Taekwoon kiss Hongbin good morning. Ravi just kept waiting, expecting that prick of jealousy to surface or for it to get weird. There was, of course, the plan and all, but he was only one human Ravi, there were certain reactions he expected. Expected so that he could deal with them, but they just didn’t come. Was it because he was romantically inclined toward them both, some caveat in the rules of life that said one romantic interest plus another romantic interest plus affection between said romantic interests equaled a fucking okay? Did the jealousy just cancel itself out somehow?

 

Whatever, it wasn’t something he was going to question. The plan, he reminded himself, was working; that was the important bit.

 

They waited for Hyuk to arrive with his book bag slung over his shoulder, offering a short bow before sitting down. “Hyukkie, this is Taekwoon-ah.” Ravi made short introductions, feeling like somehow Taekwoon could read his mind and knew that literally hours maybe even days had been spent gossiping and speculating about him with Hyuk behind the counter. “Taekwoon-ah, this is Hyukkie.”

 

“Hello,” Hyuk offered a quiet sort of wave before he sat down next to Ravi, Taekwoon gave only a slight nod in return. “Good to see you again, Hongbin-hyung,” another wave but Hongbin responded with a dimple popping smile. “So, what is your giant huge issue that required my immediate help? Need help making a new rap?”

 

“Funny,” Ravi rolled his eyes and settled close to the table. “This is serious.” And it must have shown in his face because Hyuk’s easy smile melted away to a face of concern. “Have you heard anything about the incident at the Victory Theatre?” Even though the place was relatively empty, he kept his voice down.

 

“Someone died right? Hey, weren’t you going there??” Realization dawned and Hyuk tilted his head to the side. “Hyung, what happened? Are you okay? Hongbin-hyung you were there too right?” It took him a minute to get all of his worry and questions out of his system.

 

They brought him up to speed on the facts, after getting him to promise to keep it all to himself. The details that hadn’t been released to the public and the interviews both Ravi and Taekwoon had with the police. “You’re studying criminology, right Hyukkie? You can help, can’t you?” But the younger man just sat there with a contemplative look on his face, chewing on his lower lip and brows drawn in concentration.

 

He didn’t speak, only reached into his book bag and pulled out a large five subject spiral bound notebook and pen stuffed inside the ring binding. “Okay,” he started, face still determined, “I’ll help but only because the idea that you could have murdered anyone is almost as hilarious as your hair making you look street.” A small smirk finally broke through to bring out his youth again and Ravi let the dig about his hair slide.

 

Hyuk opened to a new page of his notebook, diligently marking at the top ‘Investigation Squad Alpha’. “Now we sound like an anime.” Hongbin giggled and turned his head so he could read the page better.

 

“You've got to start somewhere.” Hyuk chimed and then put his game face back on. “So, we need to start from the high perspective. If we’re going to solve this let’s start from the top. Suspects, two things, means and motive. Could they have done what needed doing and why would they do it. We’re probably not going to have each piece but let’s start there. We can eliminate as we need to.

 

“Means, could they get backstage, to the roof, and also into Taekwoon-ssi’s dressing room to plant the gun. Also could they remove the other prop. That’s probably going to help limit some of the suspects. And then motive, that’ll have to be speculation for the most part. We’re not the police we can’t really interview people.” Hyuk frowned. “Man, I hope doing this doesn’t damage my chances on the civil servant exam.”

 

Ravi laughed nervously, he had no idea, “No one’s going to know you were doing this unless you tell them, Hyukkie.” It was the best consolation he could offer. “Okay, but there was a lot of staff and cast backstage, it could be anyone.”

 

“Not everyone could have slipped into my dressing room though.” Taekwoon added, face serious. “If Ravi-yah came into my room right after intermission started, and was there until I arrived, then the gun could only have been planted after that.” Ravi had never thought of that and his face lit up. “And by the time we were all called out by Manager Hakyeon, there were only a few that might have gone in there. The police took half the staff for questioning in a different room, and found the gun before the second half went.”

 

“So that should help clear me, right?” Ravi asked hopefully.

 

“Only if they don’t believe you brought the gun in yourself,” Hyuk answered but noted down the information. “So who does that leave left?” All eyes turned to Taekwoon.

 

“The main cast, the director, a few minor cast members and that’s about it. They took most of lighting, props, hair and make up for questioning first.” Taekwoon frowned and took a sip from his drink.

 

“I know it’s an obvious question, but did you see anyone hanging around your room?” Hongbin offered an apologetic smile for asking. “Did you go back in there?” But the other man only shook his head in the negative, frown still in place.

 

“So, who is that then? Sorry, I don’t know who was in the play.” The youngest shrugged but held his pen at the ready.

 

“Lee Jaehwan, actor. Kim Himchan, actor. Im Yoona, actress. Hwang Sejun, director. Seo Inguk, actor. Yook Sungjae, actor. Park Sooyoung, actress. Hmmm,” Taekwoon paused in ticking off each person from his fingers, re counting. “Cha Hakyeon, theatre manager. He was running around as well.”

 

Each name read went into the notebook, space left between names to add in both motive and means. “So, that gives us ten suspects to look at.” Hyuk announced while filling in what blanks he could with the information they had.

 

“Ten?” Ravi’s head perked up, “I counted eight.”

 

“You and Taekwoon-ssi make it ten.”

 

“But we didn’t do it, Hyukkie!” Just being considered at all was making Ravi’s head spin.

 

“I know, but the police don’t, and we have to approach this from the same view if we want to clear you.” Hyuk didn’t even look up as he added both Ravi and Taekwoon’s names to his list. “If we can eliminate you using clues and evidence then we can convince the police of it too. Don’t worry, hyung, I don’t think you killed anyone.”

 

But Ravi didn’t look happy with being on even a hypothetical list of murder suspects. “So where do we start then?” Hongbin asked, determination setting his mouth into a thin line.

 

“Inconsistencies and motives.” Hyuk wrote both words at the top of the page and circled them. “Motives, did anyone in the cast have any issues with the victim?” Maybe it was to keep it all from getting personal, or maybe he was trying to sound professional, but Ravi noticed that Hyuk wouldn’t say Woobin’s name. “Was there any bad blood between anyone?

 

“And inconsistencies, the missing prop gun for one. Where did it go? Could the real murderer have taken it with them from the theatre? Or is it still there somewhere? Why haven’t the police found it?” Hyuk looked to all of them for answers.

 

“Wait,” Hongbin frowned, one brow quirking up on his handsome face. “There was only one prop gun, the whole time I mean. During rehearsals there was only one?” Taekwoon nodded. “But I saw two. When I was going around this last week during rehearsals, I swear I saw two props. I thought you just had a spare in case of problems.”

 

“Can you prove that?” Hyuk asked brows raised.

 

Hongbin bit into his lower lip and sighed, “I don’t know. But I know there were two.”

 

“Then that’s the first mystery we have to solve.” Hyuk announced.


	18. Chapter 18

It felt good to be taking action, well that was putting it too broadly, it shouldn’t feel good to be investigating a murder. But the doing something, the act of not just sitting around on their toes waiting for something to happen, that felt good. Hongbin sat in the corner of their squishy couch with his second hand laptop perched precariously on his knees. It was lagging a little, okay more than a little, as the torrent of photos from his camera were uploaded to it. How had he taken so many pictures? It’d be another hour before he could even start combing through them.

 

But he was sure, sure that there had been two gun props during rehearsal. Sure that he must have, in all of his hundreds of photos, some evidence to prove it. Though he wasn’t exactly sure of what that was going to do for them other than show that there were two guns previously. Hyukkie had explained something about it being evidence that might take the heat off of Ravi, and that was good enough for Hongbin. He didn’t need another reason beyond that.

 

The police couldn’t be trusted, not if they thought Ravi was a suspect in the first place. Or Taekwoon for that matter. Hongbin frowned to himself and watched his cursor spin in place, the upload bar on his screen moving at a snail’s pace. Taekwoon seemed a little intimidating at first, but it just wasn’t possible that he was the murderer. The musical was his world, he loved it, and there wasn’t a chance in hell that he was going to stop production, maybe even cancel the whole thing. And the more time the police wasted looking at the wrong people, the more time the actual killer had to get away with it. And that wasn’t allowed at all.

 

“Hongbinnie?” Ravi’s voice cut through his thoughts as he glanced toward their kitchen. His roommate was standing in front of the refrigerator, door swung open, and staring inside. He’d been like that for almost five minutes. “We don’t have any food.” Ravi turned to look at him with the most pathetically sad face Hongbin had ever seen. “How can we not have any food, Bin-ah? How?”

 

Rolling his eyes, Hongbin set his computer down onto the coffee table next to his camera and shuffled over to his friend. “We can’t be out of everything.” They’d gone shopping recently, hadn’t they? But sure enough the fridge was all but barren except for the standard bottles of milk and some eggs. How had he not noticed that morning when he’d been worried over breakfast? Because he’d been worried over something else of course. “Okay, so, we’re out of everything.” A tight frown formed on his mouth. How had he forgotten to shop for a week, a voice in his head derided him. Another voice reminded him of afternoons spent with Taekwoon at the theatre getting his face kissed off. Oh, yes, that was it.

 

“Well shit, what are we going to do for dinner then?” Ravi stared forlornly into the empty chest once more before shutting the door and settling a hip against it. As if on cue his stomach gave a small gurgle. “That wasn’t me.” And just something about the way he said had both of them starting to laugh. Laugh because they needed to, because sometimes there was a thin line of emotion between laughing and crying. Hongbin’s cheeks began to hurt from the grin on his face, so wide and he could feel the tears pricking his eyes.

 

They both laughed until their sides hurt and Hongbin had keep one hand on Ravi’s shoulder to keep himself from toppling over. In the end, it wasn’t even that funny, but they’d laughed over dumber things before. And they would again. And it was that, that bright thought, that finally let some of the bands around Hongbin’s heart loosen from stress. Ravi was innocent. So there would be nothing to stop them from proving that. It made his soul grow lighter. “I have some extra cash from Manager Hakyeon for my work,” Hongbin wheezed out between left over giggles. “Let’s just order out,” and the way Ravi’s eyes brightened at the idea made it worth it, even if he should have used that money for his lens, “but it’s not going to become a habit!” He scolded as well.

 

But his friend was already digging through their (embarrassingly large) pile of delivery ads. Tossing into one of two piles, ‘nah’ and ‘meh’. It could take him a few minutes to get through them all. “Do you think Taekwoon-ah’s coming back tonight?” Hongbin asked, hopping up to sit on the counter, his legs kicking at the air. The singer had said he had something to do and left as soon as they’d all got back from Coffee House, no mention of what he needed to do or where he was going. In all honesty, he probably wanted a break from them. He’d been through a lot and just from what he’d learned in the short time he’d known Taekwoon, the man probably wanted a moment alone.

 

Ravi shrugged, holding up two menus and eying them both. “I don’t know, should we order for him just in case?” Hongbin wasn’t sure if he was being thoughtful or making a ploy for more food. “You could call him, you’ve got his number now.”

 

“I don’t want to bother him.” Hongbin rubbed at the back of his neck. Didn’t it scream clingy boyfriend a little too much? “Maybe we could order something just in case, if he doesn’t show then we’ll have breakfast out of it.” Cause that didn’t sound desperate at all, he rolled his eyes but didn’t bother trying to take back what he’d said.

 

“Works for me,” Of course Ravi wasn’t going to argue food. He held up a menu and pointed at it with a bright grin. “You want your normal?” Had they ate from that place before? Hongbin peered at the menu and just shrugged before nodding.

 

While Ravi ordered Hongbin went back to his laptop, settling in on the couch again, the screen was largely the same except the loading bar was getting ever closer to the finish line. Behind it a stream of pictures went by in a blur. He wasn’t sure whether to be grateful or regretful that Hakyeon had told him he had free reign on taking as many photos as he wanted. Hongbin’s ‘want’ went a long way and that was a lot of data to pick through. The fact that a large portion of them were of Taekwoon made him shut his eyes and sigh. Maybe no one else needed to help him look through them all.

 

“Should be here soon.” Ravi wandered over to the couch and sat in the opposite corner as Hongbin, long legs coming up to tangle with his in the middle. It was an age old battle, Hongbin was there first but Ravi had longer legs, who really deserved that middle cushion? They’d try and maneuver the other out of the spot to claim it, but mostly ended up just having their limbs jumbled into a mess. “Bin-ah?”

 

Something in Ravi’s tone brought Hongbin’s attention from his laptop, head tilting just so to look at him fully. “What’s up? Please don’t tell me you’ve got another crisis like the one we’re in, I don’t think I could take it, Wonsikie.” His grin was meant to signify it was a joke but it slowly slid off his face as Ravi’s kept a sort of melancholy look.

 

Offering up a hollow laugh, his friend shook his head and rested a hand onto one of Hongbin’s feet, gripping tight. Maybe to hold him there? Was it that bad? “I fucked Taekwoon-ah.” The words were said so quietly and so quickly that for a moment Hongbin wasn’t even sure he’d heard them right. “Or I guess it was the other way around,” Ravi gave a slight grimace smile. “But because of the plan, I thought I should tell you. I didn’t want it to be awkward but now it kind of is but I don’t know what to say.”

 

In all the years Hongbin had known him, Ravi had never been so uncomfortable talking about sex except maybe when he’d blushingly talked about losing his virginity in high school. Seeing the way he just kept looking at their legs, avoiding all eye contact, broke something in Hongbin. Ravi should never have that sheepish face, especially not around him. “Did you use protection?” The words were out before he’d even realized he was going to say them.

 

Ravi’s eyes snapped up to look at his, one eyebrow raising high up on his brow as if to ask if that was really the heart of the matter here. “Jeez, mom,” disbelief colored his voice and at least a smirk tipped the corners of his mouth up before he huffed out a laugh, “yeah we did. That’s really what you’re going to ask about?”

 

A soft laughter filled the room, quiet before growing stronger. It took Hongbin a second to realize it was coming from him. “What do you want me to say?” That he was jealous? Of who? Both of them? At the same time? That he selfishly wished he’d been in either of their place? He had to laugh, because if he didn’t he might slip and admit it. ‘Don’t leave our bed for his.’ Why was he being like this? Ravi had dated before, spent nights at his boyfriend’s place while Hongbin laid in there own bed missing the warmth that was almost always pressed against his back, and he’d been okay though. But that feeling was back, like everything had shifted when he wasn’t looking. ‘Don’t leave me for him, stay with me, he stays too.’ What a strange idea, but waking that afternoon sandwiched between both Taekwoon and Ravi had felt good, better than good, after the shock wore off.

 

“You’re not mad? Or upset? Or, I don’t know, I don’t want to make anything weird, okay?” The look Ravi gave him conveyed just how confused he was, how confused they both were frankly.

 

“Would you be mad or upset if I told you I was having sex with him?” Hongbin was determined not to let it get ‘weird’ as Ravi put it.

 

His roommate took a moment to think about it, Hongbin could see the way he considered it from his own perspective, the confusion on his face smoothed out into careful thoughtfulness. “No,” Ravi gave small grin, “I’d expect it”

 

“What?” Hongbin breathed out harsh on what could have been a scoff or a laugh. He had no idea what that meant.

 

“Look at you, Bin-ah.” His roommate smirked again, eyes smiling with him, “You’re so handsome, he’d be stupid not to.”

 

“Oh not this again,” he threw himself back against the couch and let his eyes roll up to stare at the ceiling. “I’m serious, Wonsikie.” Though a part of him ached at the knowledge that Ravi was being serious too. How could being handsome solve all his problems? It didn’t. It didn’t do anything but cause them sometimes. “I’m not mad okay, or upset, I’m…” he reached for the right word to use, “surprised. But it’s not like we both don’t know what’s going on with Taekwoon-ah and us. Your ‘plan’ remember?”

 

“You sound mad.” The grip on his foot tightened more.

 

“Well I’m not,” Hongbin very nearly pouted shoulders going tense and hands balling into fists, “not about this anyhow. I’m more worried about the case than this.” That was all, he told himself, it was definitely not feeling like being handsome wasn’t enough. Because if it was, Ravi would have fallen for him already. “After we clear both of your names, then we can discuss whose turn it is to have sex with our boyfriend.” And he couldn’t believe he’d even just said that.

 

“You sound really mad.” And maybe he was, but the worried look on Ravi’s face crushed it in an instant. It wasn’t fair, to get mad that he couldn’t have everything he wanted. Especially it wasn’t fair to be mad at Ravi about it.

 

Hongbin sighed and let his shoulders fall, eyes shutting, “I’m not,” he repeated but with much more calm. “I’m stressed, but I’m sure you are too. I don’t want to take it out on you.” Suddenly it felt like he had no energy, “I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s okay, Hongbinnie.”

 

“Not really.” Hongbin dragged a hand through his hair and peeked an eye open to look down the couch at his friend, concern shining in his eyes. “Just promise me that if I have sex with Taekwoon-ah and tell you, you won’t say any of the things I just did, okay?” He couldn’t believe he was even having this conversation, but neither would he say that he hadn’t thought about what being in bed with the other man would be like. Or how he had kind of hoped it’d happen, soon.

 

“Deal,” Ravi grinned slightly and reached his hand out pinky first. Hongbin lifted his own hand to match and they reaffirmed their promise, pinkys intertwined and thumbs brushing against each other. “Can I say congratulations when you do?”

 

“Wonsik!” And Hongbin reached for the pillow behind him to bash over his friends head.


	19. Chapter 19

“Look, here, I’ll show you.” Hongbin, Ravi, Taekwoon, and Hyuk were all situated in the tiny living space, Ravi and Taekwoon taking up the couch while Hongbin and Hyuk sat on the floor in front of it. Hongbin’s small laptop was on the coffee table, screen pointed toward them all surrounded by clashing and mismatched mugs of coffee. On the display was a picture of Taekwoon in his full costume, prop gun in hand, along with Jaehwan and Himchan in the background. “I took this last Saturday during rehearsals. You can see the date and time stamp in the corner and that’s also embedded into the file, which is important.

 

“Now, if I just,” Hongbin squeezed forward to tap at a few keys, bringing up a second picture. This one showed a quick view of Taekwoon’s dressing room from the doorway. He silently prayed that no one asked why he was taking pictures of empty rooms, more specifically, Taekwoon’s room. He’d never actually expected to be sharing the photos with anyone. “See here? If I zoom in,” the image magnified to the counter in the room, sitting clearly in plain sight was the prop gun. “Another gun! And look at the date and timestamp. Not even ten minutes between the two photos.” Because Hongbin had specifically tried to go backstage when no one else would be back there, everyone had still been on stage for an ensemble piece.

 

He shot a smug look and grin over his shoulder to his friends, proud of his work. It had only taken him four hours to browse through his photographs and tag the ones that had the gun in them. Another one and a half after that to comb through those looking for any proof of the second prop. He’d been dead on his feet when he’d texted both Hyuk and Taekwoon to come to the apartment first thing in the morning, eager to show the the proof he’d found. Ravi whooped and lifted his arms with a cheer while Taekwoon settled for a small but beautiful smile and nod.

 

Hyuk, on the other hand, looked much less impressed, lips pursed and head shaking. “It’s good,” he started but Hongbin could hear the silent ‘but not good enough’ tacked on. “But doesn’t actually prove anything in itself. While  _ you _ know that everyone was on stage at the time, with the a gun prop, this photo of the dressing room only proves that there was a gun there at that time. It doesn’t prove that there was another one around at the same time.” The younger boy sighed and shrugged helplessly. “It might help in the long run, but it’s not the proof we need, unfortunately. Sorry, hyung.”

 

Crestfallen, Hongbin glumly lowered his chin to to rest on his drawn up knees. He really had thought he was onto something with the picture. There were two guns, he knew it, and surely a witness account could have been good enough to prove it. But he could also see where Hyuk was coming from. Someone could look at those and just say that in the ten minutes between photos the same gun had been moved from stage to dressing room. “Well, it was worth a try, right? You did good, Bin-ah.” Ravi reached over and gave him a bump on the shoulder. “And that was just in one day, okay? Think of how much more we can find.”

 

“Ravi-hyung is right.” Hyuk gave a bright smile, eyes squinting, “this is a really good start. Maybe we can use your pictures to try and track the second gun’s movements.” Hongbin perked up a little at that, smiling and nodding. That was something he could try and do, he had so many pictures and he’d already cordoned off the ones he’d need to look at.

 

Suddenly an arm was moving past Hongbin’s face and he leaned back as Taekwoon half crawled over him to get to the laptop. He said nothing but just fiddled with the glitchy tracker until he nearly snarled in frustration. “Make it go back to the last picture,” the demand was quiet but fierce. It was kind of adorable, but Hongbin bit into his lip to keep from grinning too hard. Waiting for Taekwoon to push back onto his seat on the couch, he then moved forward and used the keyboard to direct the picture back to the stage scene.

 

“There,” Taekwoon pointed at the screen but everyone just stared for a moment. With a sigh, he poked at Hongbin on the back of his head and pointed again. “Zoom in over my left shoulder.” His voice sounded like he was explaining something too simple to need an explanation. Hongbin didn’t question it, just moved back to the keys and tapped in a few commands to get the requested area enlarged. It was only just barely there, but he saw what Taekwoon was after. “Videograpaher.” It felt like ages ago when he’d only just started poking around the theatre. That had been the day Ravi had gone with him to the theatre, and the team of videographers had been there to tape more rehearsals.

 

“Oh, if we had that video then we could prove that Hongbin-ah’s picture was taken at the same time Taekwoon-ah’s gun was on stage!” Ravi excitedly draped himself over Hyuk’s back to get a closer look. “Because they’d have the timestamps too, right?”

 

“So who has the video files then?” Shoving Ravi back against the couch, Hyuk started scribbling into his notebook again, writing down each step of their ‘investigation’. “Are they somewhere we could get to them?”

 

Hongbin offered a clueless shrug, he had mainly just been concerned with staying out of the videographers way when he’d been there. He remember that Hakyeon had told the video crew to try and catch Hongbin taking pictures of the rehearsal at one point, but that was it. “Manager Hakyeon.” Taekwoon spoke quietly, “he was arranging all of it.”

 

“Could we get him to let us look at the raw footage? With Hongbin-hyung’s time stamp we already know which one we’re looking for. We just need proof that a gun was on stage the same time hyung was taking his photo.” The would be detective Hyuk sounded more than a little excited at the idea, writing out ‘video evidence’ inside a box on his page and drawing bright lights around it. Taekwoon simply nodded. Hyuk snapped his notebook shut and grinned at the three others. “That’s the next step then! Good job guys! I’ve got to run to work, because someone,” a very pointed look at Ravi, “decided he needed his shift covered today. Text me if you get the video though, okay?” He left with a smile and wave, door sliding shut behind him.

 

It somehow felt like some of the drive had left with Hyuk. They sat in the quiet for a few moments, waiting on someone else to start. “Should I call Manager Hakyeon?” Hongbin asked breaking the silence and tilting his head back to look at Taekwoon, hair brushing against the other man’s leg. “I dont’ know if he’d give me access though.” To be fair, he wasn’t sure if he’d give Taekwoon access either. The other man shook his head and pulled out his phone as the sound of a text chime sounded in the apartment.

 

But it wasn’t from his. Ravi, tapped the screen on his own hand phone and his eyes popped wide. “Fuck,” he swallowed and glanced nervously at Hongbin and Taekwoon, “Hyukkie just texted, police car out in front of the building with an officer just passing him coming inside.” A cold sweat broke out on the back of Hongbin’s neck. Were they here for Wonsik? What were the odds? They could be there for anything, but a niggling feeling at the back of his mind didn’t agree. “Should I run?”

 

Run?! The thought sounded appealing at first but Hongbin shook his head. That would only get them in deeper trouble, wouldn’t it? Still, something was clogging his throat, making it hard to breathe and he could see Ravi’s face falling by the second. “It might be okay, maybe they’re here to say you’re no longer a suspect?” Even saying it to try and be optimistic, he didn’t believe it.

 

“Maybe they’re looking for me.” The quiet calm of Taekwoon’s voice seemed almost eerie with the sudden feeling of pinched nerves. “I shouldn’t be here.” Hongbin’s eyes widened at the claim, a soft pang of hurt resounding inside his chest, a similar look fell over Ravi’s face as well. Did he not want to be associated with them? The hurt widened into something more obvious when the other man stood up from the couch, face neutral.

 

“You’ve got to hurry then.” Ravi’s low tone was flat, eyes downcast. “It doesn’t take long to climb the stairs here.”

 

“Don’t misunderstand,” Taekwoon’s voice softened, back still turned to them, “I’m the main suspect. If they see me here it’s only going to make you both look worse.”

 

Regret immediately washed over Hongbin for thinking the worst. Maybe he was the worst of them all. “You can’t go out there, they’ll see you.” But there wasn’t really any place to hide in their tiny apartment either. Biting his lip, he glanced around trying to figure out what best to do. The bedroom? But what would keep someone from casually just checking in there. 

 

“Come here,” Hongbin got up and grabbed Taekwoon’s wrist, yanking him into the bathroom and shutting the door, swiping the lock command. The small space wasn’t made for two, but he didn’t have time to try and be delicate, instead pushing Taekwoon into the counter so he could hobble to the shower. The sound of running water started and he held up a finger to his lips to Taekwoon. If they thought he was showering then they wouldn’t try and come into the bathroom would they? He just hoped they weren’t there long and that Ravi would be okay on his own out there.

 

The knock at the door was like gunfire in Ravi’s ears. If it didn’t slow soon, he was sure his heart was going to beat right out of his chest. A strange tingling sensation ran over all of him and he wasn’t quite sure that he was going to be able to make it all the way to the door to open it. God, he wished Hongbin wasn’t trapped in the bathroom.

 

Mechanically, he pushed himself off the couch, taking the few steps to the door before he used their view screen to see if it wasn’t Hyuk who had forgotten something. The face of the officer who’d been at the theatre assured him it was not Hyuk. There was time to take one deep breath before he pulled the door open.

 

“Kim Wonsik,” the officer, what was his name, Ravi couldn’t remember, “I’d like to ask you a few questions.” Questions, that was easy, he could answer questions right? No problem, questions were his jam. “It’d probably be best if we did this down at the station.” His gut dropped to his knees. That was the very last place he wanted to go.

 

His knees locked almost and a forced sort of smile pushed itself onto his face. “Yeah, okay.” Fuck, that wasn’t what he wanted to say. “Can I tell my roommate where I’m going?” Even just saying it he felt like the officer could figure out that someone else was in the bathroom with Hongbin. But the man at the door only nodded once and waited, holding the door open with his foot.

 

Fuck, fuck, his fingers were caught on the hem of his shirt, twisting and untwisting. “Hongbin-ah!” he yelled toward the bathroom door, hoping they could hear him over the sound of the water. “I’ve got to go to the police station at…” he glanced at the officer with a shrug.

 

“North 84th street.” Was that where he’d been the other night? Shit, it was still a blur.

 

“The one on 84th!” he continued shouting at the bathroom. Hopefully, if nothing else, Taekwoon would remember which station they’d been at. “I’ve got my phone!” If they’d let him keep it. Out of ways to stall for more time, Ravi let his shoulders slump. “Okay, I’m ready.” No, he wasn’t, but he slipped his shoes on anyhow.

 

Taekwoon sat on the small counter space in the bathroom, the steam from the shower was dousing him as much as the chilled sweat he knew was falling down his spine did. Hongbin had his ear pressed against the door and a face that was drawn in concern and worry. They both waited, water still running, even after the automatic door lock chimed. Waited for maybe the chance that it was a mistake and Wonsik was on his way back in.

 

They waited. And waited. But the apartment was silent on the other side of the door. “Hongbin-ah,” Taekwoon’s quiet voice could barely be heard above the din of the shower running. He pushed off the counter and reached down to brush fingers along the back of Hongbin’s shoulders. “Hongbin-ah,” maybe he’d been expecting tears from the other man, or a fragile sort of state, but when Hongbin turned his face toward him there was steel in his eyes.

 

“Call Manager Hakyeon, we need those videos.” Grim determination lined his face as he slid his finger over the lock strip.

 

One phone call and a subway trip later and they were huddled in the cold three blocks down from the theatre. Hakyeon had told them to meet him there since ‘Operation: It’s  _ my _ freaking theater’ was going to need some explaining. Taekwoon kept his hands stuffed in his coat pockets and a frown on his face. Whatever reason the police had for taking Wonsik away had him on edge, they were wrong and any reason to detain him was in error.

 

Beside him, Hongbin was obsessively checking his phone for updates, the collar of his jacket turned up to guard against wind. He was muttering something about idiots and not taking coats, and Taekwoon had a feeling the other man was speaking of his roommate. Worry pretty much radiated off him in waves.

 

“There you are,” a voice hissed as a man bundled inside a large furry coat and black scarf scampered over toward them. Just barely through the clothing could Taekwoon see it was Hakyeon. “Taekwoonie I’ve been so worried! After they left with you and then took over the theatre everything’s been a mess. A complete disaster. The worst. All of the staff and cast have been questioned and poked at, harassed even.” Hakyeon rattled off his words like he usually did, as if they were the latest and greatest news ever. “Oh, and I’m sorry about your friend Hongbinnie, I heard that he was taken for questioning too.” A kind sympathy lit in the eyes of the manager as he reached up to pat Hongbin on the head. “Though I don’t know what he was doing backstage that night.”

 

Taekwoon had almost forgot just how much Hakyeon could talk. He’d give Jaehwan a run for his money, and that was saying something. “Where are the files?” Direct, to the point, simple, it was like they spoke from two different spectrums of speech patterns.

 

“In the theatre,” Hakyeon crossed his arms over his chest and pouted, “along with the hard copies. I’ve got them all on the theatre’s editing room computer. That’s where they belong after all.” But it was obvious that this arrangement wasn’t currently pleasing him. “What’s this all about? Why do you need them so badly?”

 

“We’re going to prove that there were two prop guns. That’s going to help prove Ravi-yah’s innocence.” Hongbin nodded with his words, “The police are looking at the wrong people.”

 

“And the videos can help do that?” They both nodded and Hakyeon’s face grew determined. “Okay, I can help you get in.”

 

“Get in?” A note of confusion was raised in Taekwoon’s quiet voice. “Is this what you meant by ‘it’s your freaking theatre’?”

 

Hakyeon pulled a quick disgusted face and glared down the street toward the theatre. “It’s a crime scene so they’ve tried to keep everyone out of it. It’s  _ my _ baby though, and they can’t keep me away. You two though…” he paused and made a grimacing look, “how good are your stealth skills?”

 

This was a terrible idea, it was the only thought that could run through Taekwoon’s brain. Standing at the edge of the building, peeking out from around the corner like some street thug, he felt ridiculous. Only a mind like Cha Hakyeon’s could have come up with a plan so inane, that or a saturday morning kids cartoon. The plan was, and Taekwoon was hesitant to actually call it a plan in the first place, that Hakyeon would distract the guard enough that when Taekwoon and Hongbin, just a couple strolling down the street, passed by they could slip in through the door. It had disaster written all over it.

 

“We don’t have any other options, Taekwoon-ah,” Hongbin stroked a hand down Taekwoon’s shoulder. He was nervous too, the feeling all but springing off of him, but he offered up a bright smile and Taekwoon couldn’t help but let the corners of his mouth pull up in return. “It’ll be okay.”

 

That remained to be seen, as Hakyeon strolled up to the guard, bristling for a fight. It was their cue, and Taekwoon wrapped an arm over Hongbin’s shoulders, the other man’s arm sliding up around his waist. There was a tightening in his gut, a foreknowledge that this stupid plan wasn’t going to work and they were going to have one hell of a time trying to explain why they were trying to sneak into the theatre behind the guard’s back. Instinctively or for show, Hongbin moved to bury his face against Taekwoon’s neck as they started walking and Taekwoon turned his face down to nuzzle in the boy’s hair.

 

“You see this? Take a good look at it!!” As they got closer, the sound of Hakyeon’s tirade assaulted their ears. Taekwoon could only imagine what the officer was thinking as the manager shoved the piece of paper right under his nose. “Are you looking? It says Cha Hakyeon, that’s me, is the sole manager and proprietor of this property. Take it, read it!” Taekwoon waited till the guard obligingly reached out for the paper and began reading before he hip checked Hongbin to the side and in through the sliding door of the theatre.

 

It worked. He and Hongbin darted to the side, out of view of the doorway as soon as they could. It had actually worked. Letting out a brief sigh of relief, he let his eyes shut even while Hongbin clung tighter to his side. In hindsight, he was immensely disappointed with the calibre of people stocking the police force.

 

Ravi could only wish he’d been thinking the same. Trapped back in the same interview room he had been previously, he was faced with two policemen rather than one. The same detective as had first interviewed him (Detective Oh, he recalled) and the officer that had come to pick him up (Officer Jung). But neither of them looked to be in a good mood and that only served to put Ravi more on edge than he already was.

 

With a hard  _ thud _ the detective dropped something in a clear bag onto the table. “Have you seen this before, Ravi?” He peered closer and saw that it was a gun… was it the gun? The murder weapon? Basic black and cold looking metal, somehow Ravi had imagined it’d have bloodstains on it, but it looked clean.

 

“N-no,” he shook his head and pushed back from the table, trying to distance himself from the thing.

 

“Then,” and just that one word, the sarcastic tone with which it was said by the officer had dread welling up inside Ravi. “Why don’t you tell us why it has your fingerprints on it?”


	20. Chapter 20 (M)

Heart pounding, head spinning, vision narrowing.

 

All Ravi could see was the gun on the table, the rest of the world drowning out of existence. Fingerprints?! How could his fingerprints be on the murder weapon? How was that even remotely possible? Maybe he didn’t have the greatest memory of all time, but he was pretty fucking sure that he would remember shooting someone! That wasn’t the sort of shit someone could forget right off the top of their head. And he was damn sure that he’d never shot anyone, fuck the most he’d ever done was play those dumb arcade games with Hongbin when they were kids. And his aim had sucked. (Or the gun he had was glitched, which was how he preferred to tell the story.)

 

“Wait,” he swallowed and the sound seemed to echo in the interview room, “just, just wait, okay?” God, what was he supposed to say? He dropped his head into his hands and tried to get his brain to work. “I-- I don’t…” Words failed him. “How could--” his throat felt clogged, there was a pressure on his chest and he’d never admit it but he could feel hot tears pricking the corners of his eyes. “Just wait.” Think, Wonsik, think. Fuck, how could he forget something like picking up a fucking gun?

 

_ ‘You’re late on your payments, Mr. Hwang.’ _

 

Fuck. 

 

“I didn’t know it was a gun,” the words tumbled out of his mouth before he’d even been able to properly coordinate them. From the looks on the two policeman's face, they weren’t exactly pleased with the explanation. “I mean,” he licked his lips and tried to calm his breathing, still keeping as far away from the table and gun as he could, “I thought it was a prop, from the play, you know?” And who the hell was going to buy that? “It was like, I don’t know, a week ago? I swear I just thought it was a prop.”

 

“So, did it surprise you then, when it fired? Since you thought it was just a prop.” The uniformed officer asked with a roll of his eyes. “Is that why you shot him a second time? Had to be sure it was real, didn’t you?”

 

“I didn’t shoot anyone!” Ravi held up his hands and waved them to emphasize the point. “I never fired it. I barely even touched it!” The tears gathering in his eyes threatened to fall and he blinked them back nervously.

 

“Why would you touch a gun in the first place?” the detective asked calmly, brow raised. “Take me through it then, where were you? When? Why?”

 

Why indeed, what had he been thinking? “Last um... “ What had Hongbin said that morning? The day they were at the theatre and he took all those pictures. “Saturday, last saturday. I was at the theatre with Hongbin-ah, that’s my roommate. He was hired to take pictures of the rehearsals and the theatre and I went to help.” Was he supposed to tell them that Taekwoon had been in their apartment that morning?  _ ‘...it’s only going to make you both look worse.’ _ “The manager, um,” why was his throat so dry? “Cha Hakyeon-ssi? He let Hongbin-ah and I go wherever and Hongbin-ah wanted to split up to look for good locations for photos.

 

“I ended up backstage, looking for a spot and went into Taekwoon-ah’s dressing room. I-- I thought it was just a prop,” he repeated it again, kicking his past self for being so dumb. “It was just there, and I thought I was being funny. No one was around so I picked it up and said something stupid to the mirror and put it down. That’s it, I swear.”

 

“Wait,” Detective Oh held up a hand to pause him, “So, you’re saying that this gun, this very gun was in Jung Taekwoon’s dressing room a week ago?”

 

Shit.

 

Hongbin had been in the theatre when it was empty before, time spent with Taekwoon after rehearsals and everyone had left for the day. But never after he knew someone had been murdered there. It shouldn’t have made a difference, but it did. All the shadows were just a little deeper, the quiet sounds of the old building a little creepier. And he was really glad that Taekwoon and Hakyeon were with him.

 

It seemed like Hakyeon had a years worth of gossip to catch up on with Taekwoon. Or rather, he felt like he had a years worth of gossip to share with him. Everyone was so upset, so scandalized, no one could believe what had happened. On opening night of all times, who would do such a thing? It wasn’t that he didn’t have any sympathy for them, of course he did, but he did his best not to forget what they’d discussed at the coffee shop the previous day. If Ravi and Taekwoon weren’t the murderer, then one of the others definitely was. 

 

And it made him sick to think one of them would do something to try and pin the deed on Taekwoon or Ravi. Just knowing that someone was foul enough to hide the gun in Taekwoon’s room made him more determined to clear his friends. More than that, determined to find who really murdered the victim. They were the ones who belonged at the police station, not Ravi, not Taekwoon.

 

“...won’t let me send in people to clean yet either.” Hongbin tuned in to just the last part of Hakyeon’s latest gossip. “Look at this place, it’s a mess, but I’ve been the only one allowed in since they cleared it out that night. My poor theatre, my baby. I haven’t even been up to the roof, out of respect, you know?” That was right, the roof was the crime scene. Something twisted inside him, a small and petty side that didn’t want his best memories with Taekwoon created there tainted by murder. How small of him, he was the worst. 

 

“The funeral’s the day after tomorrow, you know? You’ll be there right?” Hakyeon poked Taekwon in the shoulder and gave him a look that was less asking and more telling than his words belied.

 

“I don’t want to.”

 

“You have to, Taekwoonie, you can’t not go.” With a dramatic roll of his eyes, Hakyeon turned into a room that Hongbin hadn’t seen before. It just looked like a standard office, though the wide wooden desk had an inlaid touchscreen for controls and the desktop projected clearly right onto the far wall as well as a clear monitor on the desk surface. It was the perfect set up for photo editing, his heart gave a little gallup at the thought. “It’ll make you look even more suspicious if you don’t show up.”

 

Taekwoon frowned and stuffed his hands in his pockets, “That’s a terrible reason to attend a funeral.” The scowl on his face showed his distaste at the thought, and he directed it back toward Hakyeon, as if the man should feel ashamed of suggesting such a thing.

 

“I know,” Hakyeon was anything but phased by the pointed glare, starting up the desk rig and gesturing Hongbin to the seat. “I feel awful for having to say it, believe me, but I worry about you. If everyone else shows up and you don’t, it’ll seem really bad.” Hongbin hated to admit that Hakyeon was right, despite agreeing with Taekwoon’s sentiments. “You were friends with Woobinnie too though right?”

 

Hongbin settled into the desk chair while Hakyeon and Taekwoon spoke over his head. Thankfully, everything was well organized, folders distinctly named, files all marked in chronological order by cameraman. “...just co-workers.” He’d missed the first part of Taekwoon’s answer. “I didn’t really know him that well.”

 

11:26 am, that was the time frame Hongbin was looking for in the files. “At least make an appearance,” Hakyeon’s voice went soft, reaching a hand out to pat Taekwoon’s shoulder, “for a co-worker if nothing else. You don’t have to stay long. But I’m organizing a more personal wake for the cast afterward, you should come to that too. Jaehwanie and the others will all be there.” Wait, where did that file go? Hongbin blinked at the screen to see if it was just his eyes playing tricks on him. An entire file was missing from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm on the day in question. A quick check showed that it wasn’t only for the one camera man. All three cameras were missing the file for that time.

 

“Manager Hakyeon?” He didn’t want to interrupt but a weird feeling sat at the base of his spine. Was it a clue?

 

“Did you find the one you needed, Hongbinnie?” Hakyeon leaned down to look over his shoulder, eyes alight with excitement.

 

“Not yet,” for just a moment he wasn’t sure if he should mention the missing files, remembering the short list of suspects, “I was wondering, you said you had the hard copies too right? Do you have those around?” Maybe it was just a small oversight, a misclick… three times in a row.

 

“Hmmm,” the manager pulled back and a tucked a finger under his chin in thought, “yes they should be here somewhere. I’ll find them, you keep looking there.” It didn’t feel like the kind of thing that could be coincidence though, one file missing he could understand, but all three? The worry line between his brows deepened, body going tense. Why had he even noticed that? It wasn’t the file he was looking for even.

 

The one he was seeking was there, simple as can be, stage camera A 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. He pulled up the file to play on both screens, the room suddenly filled with the sounds of the stage before Hongbin started tracking through the file for the time in question. The morning in question flew by; Taekwoon showing up wearing Ravi’s ridiculous sun glasses, the start of rehearsals, small breaks, scenes repeated. There, there he was, on the other side of the stage with his camera. It was weird to see himself on the screen. And there was his picture.

 

Another ten minutes and the scene was still running, gun still in plain sight. Hongbin paused the screen and brought out his own hand phone, picture already loaded up, to verify the timestamps between the video and his own photo. An exact match. “There were two guns.” Hongbin spun around in the chair to see a small smile tugging at the corner of Taekwoon’s mouth. “I did it. I can prove there were two guns.” But the frown line wouldn’t go away. What did that prove?

 

“Ohhhhhh,” Hakyeon clapped excitedly, coming up from digging in a filing cabinet. “Good job our Hongbinnie! Yah, you’re a regular detective!” The sweet grin from the manager could have lit up the sun. Hongbin offered back one of his own but it felt somewhat dim. He hated thinking that someone like Hakyeon could be on their suspect list. “Ahhh, so proud of you. I, on the other hand, can’t seem to find the hard discs. They were here, I swear. The videographers gave me their hard copies every night they were here and I stored them in here.”

 

“Maybe the police took them?” Taekwoon offered, lips twisting into a frown and peering into the empty cabinet.

 

“No,” Hakyeon lips thinned into an annoyed line before he shook his head, “I demanded that they give me receipts for anything they take as evidence from the theatre. I’d know if they took the video discs. They should be here.”

 

“Then who could have taken them?” A look passed between Hongbin and Taekwoon, the same thought crossing both of their minds. The only one who’d been allowed in the theatre after the incident was Hakyeon.

 

“I don’t know.” The manager shrugged and offered another smile. “But you found your video you needed and that’s what’s important! So, you didn’t need the hard copies right? You can just copy that file if you want it, I don’t mind.” Hongbin downloaded the file in question to his phone and gave a small bow. “Now, how are we going to get you out of here without the guard seeing?”

 

Luckily, getting out was a lot easier than getting in. With Hakyeon’s fire escape key, they were able to use the fire door on the opposite side of the building from the main entrance. Shutting down the alarm briefly, Taekwoon wrapped a hand around Hongbin’s and pulled him down the street quickly after saying their good byes to Hakyeon.

 

He’d seen that look Hongbin have given him, read it as easily as he could read a book. “You think Manager Hakyeon took the discs and deleted the files?” Why would he though, why would he delete files from videos he’d paid to create? Why take all of the hard copies if he only needed certain ones? Taekwoon didn’t like it, but neither did he like that there wasn’t really another explanation.

 

Hongbin bit his lip and kept up the brisk pace with Taekwoon, “I don’t want to jump to conclusions,” but a look of disappointment distorted his face, “maybe there’s a reason why they’re missing.” From the sound of it though, he wasn’t even buying into his own excuse and Taekwoon knew it.

 

“If he deleted the files that doesn’t make him the murderer.” But Taekwoon couldn’t think of another reason why he would. “Or, you saw how easy we slipped in when the guard was distracted.” The thought still burned him somewhat, it  _ had _ been too easy and he refused to accept that it was because of Hakeyon’s ‘brilliant’ plan. “It could be possible that someone else did it too.” The bland look he got from the other man proved that neither of them really believed that though.

 

“Someone had to have killed Woobin-ssi, Taekwoon-ah.” And he could hear the distress in that tone. “You probably know everyone better, so it’s harder on you. But someone had to do it, so it’s probably someone you know.” Hongbin spoke to the ground, head drooped rather than face him while he said it, “Maybe even someone you like.”

 

That was true. When he ran over all the names of the suspects they’d decided on, he honestly couldn’t see any of them murdering someone. Definitely not Jaehwan, he was many things, many annoying things sometimes, but a murderer? No. Yoona was too nice, too sweet to ever imagine her holding a gun on someone and pulling the trigger. Himchan could be a little awkward sometimes but he was one of the quickest to offer a smile, plus it’d seemed that he’d made a good relationship with Woobin, always calling him ‘hyung’. Hakyeon was more likely to smother them all to death with attention than use a weapon and Director Sejun wouldn’t have ruined the production that they’d all worked so carefully on. Inguk, Sungjae, Sooyoung, no, no, no. In the end, Taekwoon couldn’t see any suspects.

 

Somehow that made each and every one of them more suspicious in his mind.

 

“Taekwoon-ah?” Hongbin’s voice reached through his own thoughts to pull him out of his own head. “Where are we going?” Taekwoon blinked, glancing around, they’d been walking for some time, and he realized he still had his hand latched onto Hongbin’s pulling him along. He didn’t bother removing it. Glancing around, Taekwoon realized where he’d been pulling him.

 

“Let’s--” but he was cut off by the sound of Hongbin’s phone chiming loudly, and in an instant the other man’s hand was tugged from his own to go digging in his coat pocket to pull out the device.

 

“Oh! It’s Ravi-yah!” Taekwoon met Hongbin’s excited face and cracked a small smile as well. If he was calling from his own phone, it must have meant he wasn’t fully in police custody. “Ravi-yah! Are you okay? How did it go? What’s going on? Do you need me to come get you? Are they treating you well?” Hongbin held the phone close to his ear and fired off rapid questions that had Taekwoon smirking a little. Those two cared about each other so much.

 

A pause while Wonsik must have explained the situation with Hongbin nodding along even though no one could see him but Taekwoon. “Oh, that’s good then isn’t it?” Another moment, and he could hear the faint timbre of Wonsik’s voice on the other end. “Mmm, yeah we did find the file, I can prove there were two guns there that day. But something else odd came up. All the hard copies of the videos are missing and three files were deleted from the digital logs. Yeah, last saturday in the afternoon.” More waiting, and Taekwoon went back to keep his own hands warm in his pockets.

 

“Wait, what do you mean it was there last Saturday?” Hongbin’s face fell and he gave Taekwoon a worried look. “And that, that’s why they let you leave?” By the minute, Taekwoon could only watch as Hongbin’s face grew darker in expression. “Where are you now? Oh, okay, do you want us to--” What was he saying, Taekwoon wondered, glancing between Hongbin and the ground. “Should I--” Something was off, something was wrong, and it was driving him mad not knowing what it was. “Oh, okay,” Hongbin was worrying the corner of his lip with his teeth. “Call me if you need me. I’ll see you later. Bye.”

 

“What’s wrong?” Taekwoon reached out for Hongbin, but the other man pulled back slightly, doe eyes wide and worried. “Hongbin-ah, tell me what’s happened.” By what he’d heard, it had sounded as if Wonsik was free to go, so why did Hongbin look so unhappy?

 

“Ravi-yah’s okay,” but he didn’t smile the way he should have when he said that, “his fingerprints were found on the murder weapon.” Taekwoon’s eyes widened, how was that possible? Hongbin shook his head, sending his hair into his eyes and licked his lips slowly, “He said that he had picked up a gun in the last week, but,” the other man wouldn’t meet Taekwoon’s eyes, staring intently at his feet. “he thought it was your prop gun. Because… because it was in your dressing room.”

 

A sudden chill came over him that had nothing to do with the nip in the air. “My room?” His mouth formed the words but he couldn’t comprehend them. “The murder weapon was in my room a week ago?” Hongbin offered only a downcast nod, hair hanging in front of his face. The realization hit Taekwoon like a freight train. “Hongbin-ah, do you think I did it?”

 

The other boy’s face flew up, eyes almost wet with tears, “No, Taekwoon-ah, no!” But Taekwoon couldn’t be sure if he was covering himself or honest. And while he expected to feel outraged over that, all he felt was a sort of spreading pain. Hongbin reached forward and held tight to his hand, pulling it up to press against his cheek. “I’m worried. I’m worried for you.” Misery turned his face incredibly sad. “They’re going to think the worst of you.”

 

“We shouldn’t just be on the street.” What was his chest doing, the tight feeling of being trapped was closing in on him. “Stay quiet.” It felt like every pair of eyes in the city was on him. Watching his every move. He started moving, faster than he had, pulling Hongbin along behind him. It was all becoming a blur. His room, the murder weapon, his dressing room, for a week? How many times had he picked up and practiced with the gun in his room? It must have been covered in his own fingerprints as well. A week? Had he always been meant to be the suspect? Was he set up?

 

He didn’t stop thinking, didn’t stop moving until he stood in front of his building, chest heaving. He’d half expected there to be cop cars circling it, on the look out for him, but everything looked quiet. “Where are we?” It was the first thing Hongbin had said, or at least the first thing Taekwoon had heard since they’d started walking again.

 

“My condo.” A slight tug on his arm made him turn back to look at the other man. Worry, raw and fierce filtered across Hongbin’s face. A grim sort of determination set into his eyes and lips. And it dawned on Taekwoon that he wanted Hongbin to believe him, wanted Wonsik to believe him more than he ever had before. Would they? Could they? “Come up? It’s more private than the street.” Hongbin only nodded.

 

Neither of them spoke in the elevator, not even once they’d reached inside his space, removing their shoes in the strange quiet. Taekwoon did finally free Hongbin’s hand though and the other man just let it drop to his side. Even with all the room in his living space, he felt trapped. His hands gripped the side of the kitchen island and his head dropped between his arms. “I didn’t kill anyone.” Was he speaking to Hongbin? Or himself? Maybe even the universe?

 

“Taekwoon-ah,” a hand stroked down his back before sliding back up his spine, “I believe you.” Hongbin’s voice was soft, gentle even as his hand moved to tip up Taekwoon’s face and turn it to look at him. There wasn’t a trace of disgust there, only wide eyes filled with earnest drive. “I believe you.” The words were on repeat in Taekwoon’s head. “I wouldn’t, won’t, turn against you.” Concern was etched into his face even as he drew Taekwoon away from the counter.

 

Soft lips against his, hands threading through his hair as Hongbin pressed against him. The gentle brush of a tongue over his lips and they parted to grant access. His own moved in, took as he was taken, his hands reaching out to grip Hongbin’s hips. He kept his eyes open, watching the way Hongbin’s would almost flutter as they kissed. Soft, so soft.

 

But he didn’t want soft.

 

His hand crept up Hongbin’s spine until he could massage the nape of his neck, fingers running through the short hairs there before reaching up to take a firm grip in the longer strands. A shudder ran through the other man’s body and he could  _ taste _ the whimper he gave. “Taekwoon-ah,” their lips parted just barely, and those wide doe eyes slit open halfway to give a view of clouded lust.

 

“I don’t want it to be about pity, Hongbin-ah.” It didn’t hit him that it was how he felt until he said it. “Don’t, if that’s your intention, then don’t do this.” But he made no move to pull away from him, hand still tangled in his hair.

 

Hongbin only shook his head and leaned forward again to press their lips together, perfect teeth sinking into Taekwoon’s own lip. It broke something in him, a low groan starting at the back of his throat, fingers wrapping tighter into his hair. Suddenly, Taekwoon was turning them both and pushing back until Hongbin was trapped against his refrigerator and himself, using his hips to press him in place. The way he squirmed was making it increasingly hard to not notice the tightening in his jeans.

 

Taekwoon dragged his mouth away from Hongbin’s, wanting instead to hear his soft gasps as he set his teeth to attacking the sensitive spot just below Hongbin’s ear, where the jaw and neck met. The brown haired boy didn’t disappoint, whining almost when Taekwon’s tongue slid up to take his soft earlobe into his mouth and sucked. From the way his hips bucked, Taekwoon could tell he wasn’t the only one feeling a little desperate.

 

Toying with his earlobe, Taekwoon pulled back just enough so he could breathe against the wet patch of skin sending a shiver all along Hongbin’s body. “I want to watch you ride me.” A short thrill shot through him at the way the other man took a quick intake of breath and then let it out in a shaky sigh, another involuntary buck of his hips. Was he imagining it? Using the hand in his hair, he pulled Hongbin’s head to the side, and scrapped teeth along his throat while his other hand began pulling at the buckle of the boy’s belt.

 

Hands scrabbled against his back when he’d finally succeeded in nudging Hongbin’s pants down from around his hips. He didn’t wait to palm him over his underwear, thumb tracing down against the clothed tip of his cock, wetting the fabric of the boxers with precum. God, Hongbin was hot and hard already and it only made the pain of being trapped in his own pants more pronounced. His lips trailed lower to nibble at his collarbone. Every breathless little moan was only pushing him further forward.

 

Taekwoon pulled his hips back from trapping Hongbin and made short work of shoving the other man’s pants down around his ankles, pleased to see when Hongbin kicked them off. Fumbling fingers found the catch of his own pants, and he let him work there while he indulged at sucking and licking the pronounced line of Hongbin’s throat. He knew he needed to drag them to the bedroom, but a part of him just wanted to bend him against the kitchen counter and fuck into him until they both had to slide bonelessly to the floor.

 

A spike of white hot pleasure shot through him, had him burying his face in Hongbin’s neck when he realized that those clever hands had found their way into his pants, stroking his dick with expert jerks of his wrist. Where had that come from behind those wide innocent looking eyes? A low growl clawed out of his throat and he reached down to grab the other man’s wrists. “Not here.”

 

They both left discarded pants in the kitchen as Taekwoon led them to the bedroom. He didn’t wait for a comment or remark. Instead he pushed Hongbin onto his back on the bed, climbing over him to capture his lips quickly, hips grinding down press their erections together. Hongbin’s hands dove into his hair and tugged, hard, which only made Taekwooon dig his teeth into his swollen lower lip and swipe his tongue along it.

 

Those hands in his hair slid down his back until they were tugging at the shirt he had on, pulling it up his body until it caught on his arms. Taekwoon sat back, still undulating his hips to make Hongbin squirm beneath him, and pulled his shirt the rest of the way off. The image of those doe eyes going opaque with need and that pink tongue sliding out to wet swollen lips was one he wouldn’t forget. Reaching out, he pulled his bottle of lube from the nightstand, along with a packaged condom.

 

He pushed up to his knees and glared down at the man under him. “Strip.” The command was simple, direct, and had Hongbin dragging his own sweater over his head and pulling his boxers off in record speed. Who’d have thought a simple photographer would have such a defined body? Delicate looking porcelain skin over hard ridges of muscles, a study in contrasts. Only made better by the way his stiff cock curved up to press against his belly. He couldn’t wait to watch it bounce when he had him sitting on his dick.

 

Coating two fingers generously with lube, he sat back and watched as Hongbin spread his legs for him, hips adjusting to show off his tight little pink hole. It made his cock twitch, not helped at all by the look of pure desire Hongbin was giving him. Taekwoon moved, holding himself up above the other man, even while his coated fingers began toying with his entrance. “Hard or slow?” He could fill the ring of muscles beginning to flutter almost by his fingers.

 

“Hard.” Hongbin moaned, or tried to as Taekwoon slid both of his lube coated fingers into him to the knuckle. The sound was cut off half way as Taekwoon took his mouth and swallowed the sound. God he was so tight and warm, the pressure was delicious and he couldn’t wait to feel it wrapped around his cock. It didn’t take long before he started moving his fingers, sliding them out before slamming back in, twisting slightly to start loosening him up. In, out, in, out. All the while he took possession of his mouth, the velvet slide of tongues exploring each other.

 

When he curled his fingers on the next stab forward, he knew he hit his prostate by the way Hongbin whined, loudly, body tensing. Then writhing on his fingers as he proceeded to hit it again and again. Every little mewl was music to his ears. Especially the cry of “no!” when he pulled his wet fingers from the grasping hole.

 

In a blink, Taekwoon had flipped them over, positions switched so Hongbin lay on top of him. Hongbin pushed himself up so he was sitting back on Taekwoon’s thighs, wrecked looking eyes locked onto Taekwoon’s thick member as Taekwoon reached over for the condom. Hongbin’s eyes tracked his movements as the rubber slid over Taekwoon’s cock, and he slowly jacked himself. “Ride it.” Hongbin’s eyes blinked up to meet Taekwoon’s before nodding slowly, a smile spreading across that too handsome face. He reached down to help adjust himself as Hongbin moved up, body tensed and waiting.

 

Slowly, he lowered himself onto the tip of Taekwoon’s dick, hole quivering around him before he sank lower, taking more of him into that gloriously tight heat. Taekwoon groaned and threw his head back against the pillows as he felt their thighs meet. Sheathed inside Hongbin, he had to force himself to not start thrusting up. Panting out a couple breaths, he looked down at him and nodded.

 

And then felt his world narrow down to just the feeling of catch and release. Hongbin wasted no time moving, rolling his hips and bouncing on him. Fingers dug into his chest as the photographer used him to steady his movements, moving his hips at different angles until he shouted out loud and his hips started to buck faster, head thrown back, eyes shut.

 

Watching Hongbin fuck himself onto his dick was one of the hottest things Taekwoon had ever seen, and soon enough his hands were reaching to grip the boy’s hips, his own pistoning up as Hongbin’s came shuddering down. The lewd sound of flesh slapping flesh was their accompaniment. One hand slid over to circle around the photographers member firmly that had Hongbin whining desperately as he began stroking him in time with their thrusts.

 

“Faster.” He demanded from a panting Hongbin who could only nod his head and complied with his order. That sweet tight heat enveloped him to the hilt with each downward jab and it wasn’t long before Taekwoon could feel his abs tensing, the onset of his orgasm cresting. “Come with me, Hongbin-ah.” His fingers tightened around Hongbin’s cock and they both rolled over that edge together, crying out while he tried to milk every strand of cum from Hongbin’s dick.

 

Bonelessly, Hongbin slid forward, face pressed into Taekwoon’s neck as they both gave labored breaths. The room echoed with the sound of their gasps. Hands trailing up and down Hongbin’s spine were the only movement until he felt the curve of lips against his throat. Gently, he pulled himself out and reached to remove the spent condom. “Don’t want to move.” Hongbin murmured into his skin before rolling off of him to lie next to him.

 

“It wasn’t pity, Taekwoon-ah.” He glanced over at his half on his way to dreamland partner. “Not pity, but love.”


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was at this point that I decided to clarify character POV... whuups xD

~ Taekwoon’s POV ~

 

Funerals were never meant to be spectacles. It seemed somehow both extremely irreverent and especially cold to the deceased. Taekwoon felt dirty just being there, in the grand space arranged to celebrate someone’s death more than their life it felt like. There were so many people there, Hakyeon had been right, all of the cast had shown up as well as quite a few of the staff from theatre. Cast from Woobin’s previous works, friends, family, and a horde of people Taekwoon wasn’t sure should be there as well, like the media.

 

At almost every gathered huddle of people the only words on their lips were of the murder. Even at the one he stood at, which would probably explain the look of disdain on his face that Jaehwan kept pointing out. Himself, Hakyeon, and Jaehwan stood together, listening as people would make toasts or share some shred of knowledge from Woobin’s life. Rather than a more formal event, it was made like party. Which meant crowd mingling, which for Taekwoon meant staying as near the wall and away from a microphone being passed around as possible.

 

Wonsik’s friend, Hyuk, had been quick to point out that the funeral would be the perfect time to scope out the other suspects. There had been a very long and detailed list regarding what to be looking for and questions he might ask if the chance arose. It made him feel like the most unclean one there. Others were there to be part of the spectacle but there he was trying to watch them all and look for faults. Well, if the killer really was there, it made him the second most unclean one.

 

It was still hard to imagine, hard to accept, that one of the people who he’d been working with tirelessly for months had done something so horrible. Motives. That was the keypoint Hyuk had tried to stress to him when they’d met the previous day to discuss the case, as it were. Someone had to have a motive to kill him, it was too planned out, too detailed for it to be a random occurrence. Especially with the revelation that the murder weapon had been at the theatre for at least a week if not longer. The model of gun they used as a prop wasn’t common,  and someone had to have found the exact same model. 

 

Which also meant from the very start someone had been out to frame him for the deed. The gun left in his dressing room, found there after the murder, his normal prop having gone missing. Did the killer have a grudge against him as well as Woobin or had he just been a convenient pawn in it all? And while he wasn’t the most friendly person to work with, he’d be the first to admit that, he didn’t interact with anyone enough to give someone a reason to frame him.

 

None of it made sense, which only made it that much harder to try and observe. Taekwoon didn’t even know where to start looking for the clues everyone had spoke about. And he’d told them as much when they’d met. At the time, he’d tried to make a case for bringing Hongbin and Wonsik with him, but they’d both said it would be inappropriate for them to attend. Well it sure hadn’t stopped the rest of the city from showing up, he thought sourly. In the end it had been decided that he should just watch as much as he could and relay if anything of interest happened no matter how small it might be or who it was that did it.

 

So he watched, and listened, and wished he wasn’t there.

 

“If you keep glaring like that, people are really going to think you’re the killer, Leo-hyung.” Jaehwan nudged him in the ribs with an elbow and offered a quick smile, brows going up over his expressive eyes. “You’ve been out of it since you got here.” Worry tinged his friends voice, “Did they make you go to the police station again?” Taekwoon only shook his head. “Did they take your boyfriend again?” He really didn’t want to talk about it but nodded once.

 

“Hongbinnie got taken to the police station?” Hakyeon interrupted, leaning in to try and keep the conversation contained between the three of them. “What? When? Why didn’t you tell me? Oh, our poor Hongbinnie.”

 

“What?” Jaehwan quirked a brow and shook his head, “Why would Hongbin-ah be there? I’m talking about that guy from the coffee shop he started dating, the one with the blue hair. You remember, how he always ducked out of lunch? You started dating him, right?”

 

“Nuh uh, I have walked in on Taekwoonie and Hongbinnie kissing at the theatre. You’re dating Hongbinnie right?” Two pairs of eyes turned to him expectantly. He was not having this conversation. No, absolutely not. 

 

“Both.” There, that was all, he wasn’t going to divulge more. “Hongbin-ah’s fine. Wonsik-ah was questioned again but released.” No one else needed to know anything else about his private life. Especially when he himself was still processing what all the feelings churning around inside him meant. And it was embarrassing enough that they were discussing it there of all places.

 

“Woah, bo--” Jaehwan cut himself off when Taekwoon turned his glare onto him, suddenly finding the opposite wall of particular interest to him. For good measure, he shot a glare at Hakyeon as well. This topic was not open for discussion. “Anyhow,” Jaehwan cleared his throat and glanced around the room for any other thing to talk about. “Have you said your respects to the family yet?”

 

The family was really just one person. Woobin’s mother stood at one end of the room, dressed in black with broken eyes. She was younger, or younger than Taekwoon had expected, trying to be strong but with so much on her he was surprised she hadn’t broke yet. “...poor woman, raised him all by herself.” Taekwoon made himself tune in as Hakyeon started talking, “We went out for drinks a couple of times, Woobinnie and I. We used to go to this card den, I lost so much money.” Hakyeon laughed but Taekwoon’s inner alarm sounded. Money. That was ‘one of the most common motives for murder’ as Hyuk put it. “When he had a little too much to drink Woobinnie would talk about how his mom raised him after his dad left them when he was a baby, not even a year old. There wasn’t anyone he loved more than his mom since it was just the two of them. Ahhh, he wanted to do so well to pay her back.”

 

So, Hakyeon had lost money playing cards with Woobin. It was, potentially, motive, though he didn’t know how much was lost except ‘so much’ and that could mean anything. It didn’t feel like much but he filed away the information to share with the others later, maybe with the missing files one of them could come up with something more. “Oh, this should be interesting.” Jaehwan nudged him again, and gestured toward one of their co-stars, Yoona, approaching Woobin’s mother.

 

The starlet had fat pretty tears in her eyes, and Taekwoon couldn’t tell if they were for show or real. Like everyone else in attendance she’d dressed in the standard mourning black but that hadn’t stopped her from looking her best, hair and make up carefully done. The two women embraced and spoke quietly. “Did you know Yoona-yah and Woobin-ah were dating?” What? Taekwoon turned his eyes away from the tearful meeting to stare at Jaehwan hard. “For like, the entire time we’ve been in rehearsals, jeez don’t look so shocked. You really never noticed that they’d leave together most nights?” Taekwoon dragged his eyes back to his co-star, her face shining with tears as she accepted a small box from the grieving mother. 

 

Lust or desire was also one of the motives he’d been set out to watch. Spurned lover? Then why did she look so sad? Taekwoon frowned and adjusted his stance, arms crossing over his chest. He wasn’t so good at being a detective, but he mentally noted the new fact as well. “She must have been in so much shock, the poor girl.” Hakyeon rested a hand on Taekwoon’s shoulder and glanced over in the girl’s direction in probably what he hoped was a casual manner. “It wasn’t until a day and a half after that she started crying.”

 

“I was shocked too though! I couldn’t believe it when you came backstage to announce it, Hakyeon-hyung.” Jaehwan scooted closer in until the three of them were merely three backs facing the rest of the room. “You never told us who found the body. Was it you?” It was a good question, and it had Taekwoon tipping his head to the side in interest. Why would anyone have gone to the roof during the middle of the performance? Maybe to smoke, he knew that both Woobin and Himchan did. Could the killer have been the one to report it? Why would they? Wouldn’t it have been better for them if it wasn’t found until later?

 

“Ahhhh, I’m not supposed to say, the police want it kept quiet.” Hakyeon just shrugged and shook his head. “I’ll tell you once it’s solved okay?” That seemed to placate Jaehwan but Taekwoon frowned. That could have been something important; he considered pressing the issue but Hakyeon had already moved on to another subject. “In better news, I’ve finally got the all clear to get the theatre back in shape. No more stupid guards at the door, ugh, it’s going to take even longer to get clean now because it’s been sitting for so long. We have to plan for re-opening.” Re-opening? Taekwoon hadn’t even thought that far ahead.

 

“Did they ever find my prop gun?” Taekwoon asked, the thought just hitting him. It was one of the biggest marks against him in the case, he knew. But after asking around a little, he’d found that all members of the staff and crew had been searched before they left the night of the crime, which meant that no one could have left with it. Hyuk had been certain that meant it was still in the theatre somehow, though if someone had removed the video file hard discs, maybe the gun had gone with them; Taekwoon watched Hakyeon intently looking for some reaction.

 

But Hakyeon just shook his head again and pouted, “Not that I’ve heard of, which is going to be a pain to replace.” Taekwoon thought darkly that it was going to be a pain to replace their lead when he was sent to jail for this, but didn’t mention it. Maybe the police had somehow missed it and it was still in the theatre, over the course of the show they’d all learned that the old building had many places to hide. But if the theatre was opening then that meant the killer would have time to go and retrieve it as well.

 

“When are you going back in?” Taekwoon tried to ask without giving away his interest in the matter.

 

“Tomorrow probably, I’ll have to assess the needs and then hire cleaning staff.” Hakyeon offered a dramatic sigh. “We probably won’t have a cast gathering for another week, I’m sure you must be eager to start again.” Not really, but he didn’t want to say it.

 

“Hongbin-ah wanted to take pictures of the theatre before it was cleaned.” It was a lie, he didn’t know why he said it. But it felt important that they at least have the chance to look before other people had the chance to come in a remove the gun. “For his pictorial project.”

 

“Ohhhhh,” luck was on his side because Hakyeon seemed pleased with the idea. “Tell him to text me, we’ll figure out a time for him to come by in the next day or two or whenever he has time. Ahhh we can put a whole short article about it on our site, what a good idea, Hakyeon.”

 

Hakyeon’s praise of himself was interrupted though by a sudden outburst of sobbing that drew everyone in the room’s attention to the grieving mother and increasingly distressed looking Himchan, eyes darting back and forth in embarrassment as he quietly let go of the woman’s hand. Quickly, he bowed to the woman before making a fast exit, head dropped low. But that was hardly enough to deter the wrath of Cha Hakyeon, who grabbed him by the arm and pulled him over to their group.

 

“What did you do?” Hakyeon hissed quietly keeping a good grip on the other man’s arm lest he try and flee. “Himchannie, what did you say to her?”

 

“I’m sorry!” Himchan was quick to apologize and tried to tug his arm free to no avail. Hakyeon was actually a lot stronger than he looked. “I just offered my condolences I swear!” But he withered somewhat under the stares he was given. “I just told her that I lost my dad really recently too and that I was sorry for her loss, I don’t know why that set her off.” Another round of frowns but he held up his hands and nodded, “Honest, maybe it was because Woobin-hyung didn’t have a dad, I don’t know.”

 

“Aish,” Hakyeon sighed but released his arm, “think about what you’re saying before you say it. Now you look like a bad guy, is that what you wanted?” But he finally freed the other man from his grasp. Himchan ducked his head in an apology again before scurrying off, Hakyeon shaking his head after him. “That kid.”

 

~ Ravi’s POV ~

 

It was weird being home, it was weird waking up, it was weird going through the day, it was weird going to work, it was weird being him. After he’d left the police station, after he’d got the texts from all of the rap underground, after he’d told Hyuk what had gone down. It felt like he was living inside some sort of dream or bubble. Was it good luck or bad luck that he’d been seen getting escorted by the police? He couldn’t tell. All he knew was that his name had suddenly blown up on the underground rap scene, and that he’d had to go do damage control the moment he left the station. Killer, maestro murderer, things he’d never wanted associated with his name suddenly were going hand in hand with ‘Ravi’.

 

Everyone was so quick to make him something he wasn’t. Even if a majority of them did believe that he was innocent, which he was grateful for, they all seemed to look at him differently. Was that what he was supposed to rap about now? Fuck the police and shit like that? That wasn’t him, that wasn’t what he wanted. But it was also his chance, maybe the one he’d been waiting for. Do a few tracks like that to get the people into him before moving to what he really wanted to do. It seemed so hollow and false but what if he missed his shot by not doing it?

 

Plus they  _ still _ had the murder to clear up. It tore him up inside knowing that the evidence that made him look innocent only served to tighten the noose around Taekwoon’s neck. The police had all but dropped to the ground when they figured out the murder weapon had been in Taekwoon’s dressing room. It almost made him regret saying it, but what else was he supposed to say? At least it had also offered a reason why Taekwoon’s prints would also be on the gun. He felt like that along with the evidence Hongbin had turned over regarding the two props was all that was stopping the police from making a formal arrest of Taekwoon.

 

It made him sick.

 

For once, if possible, it felt like their small apartment was almost too large. Only two days of having it filled by not only himself and Hongbin but Taekwoon and Hyuk as well had made him miss the constant presence. Having the space to himself felt a little empty. Hongbin would be home soon, he reminded himself looking at the note his roommate had left him, with groceries. Which probably meant no more ordering out.

 

It felt almost mundane to worry about the little stuff like he used to. Things like money for rent and food seemed so inconsequential when compared to being accused of murder. Though of course that didn’t change the fact that they still needed that money and even though Eunchan was being the most kind boss he could, Ravi still needed to get back to work so he could get paid. The world didn’t stop turning because his slice of it was falling apart.

 

And it wasn’t just him, that was the shittiest part, he could probably deal with it if it were just him. Probably wouldn’t have liked it all that much of course, but dealt with it sure. But seeing Taekwoon and, by extension through him and Ravi himself, Hongbin get pulled into the mess as well made it so much worse. And there was no one to fight, no one to zero in on except a faceless killer.

 

These were two people he… loved? It felt weird to admit, at least about Taekwoon. Fuck, he’d known he was in love with his Hongbin for years, but how could he be in love with a guy he’d only really met a little over a week ago? Hongbin had admitted, rather awkwardly, that he and Taekwoon had finally fucked, and that hadn’t surprised Ravi at all. (He’d even congratulated his friend and received the biggest pillow fight in history because of it.) Where it did surprise him was when Hongbin had cautiously said that he loved Taekwoon. His first reaction had been that it was too soon, but who the hell was he to judge what was and wasn’t too soon? And when he really thought about it, he thought maybe he loved Taekwoon too, and maybe it didn’t need a reason.

 

Hongbin’s arrival was announced by their lock chime, and Ravi got up to go help with what he was sure were way too many grocery bags for one Hongbin to carry. “Did you buy the entire store, Bin-ah?” Ravi laughed and started plucking bags out of his friends hands even before he could get his shoes off.

 

“I didn’t want us to run out again.” Hongbin followed Ravi into the apartment to pile food bags on the small amount of counter space they had. “Sorry, I’m late getting back, there is a lot of foot traffic out there. I think because of the funeral? I had a hard time getting through everyone with all the bags.”

 

That was right, the funeral. Taekwoon was there, had to be there, but was also there to try and collect clues and information. Hyuk had told them all the previous day that if they were going to move forward with the investigation they needed more information on the rest of the suspects. They’d all found it a little suspect that the video files had been deleted and the hard copies were missing too. Hakyeon had seemed like a really nice guy though, and Ravi hoped there was another explanation for it.

 

Motives was the name of the game, according to Hyuk, someone had to have a reason to kill him. It all kind of made Ravi’s brain hurt. Who wanted to kill someone anyhow? That seemed fucked up. He was kind of glad that he wasn’t there trying to look at people and see their reason for murder, though sad that Taekwoon had to do it all on his own. It probably would have looked strange if either he or Hongbin had gone though.

 

Still, a funeral. It made it seem even more final. Sometimes he was too caught up in the fact that his life had been swept up in the investigation that he didn’t realize that someone had died. A life had ended, and that was the saddest part of all. 

 

He moved away from the kitchen, picking up his pack off the floor to pull out his notebook and settled in on the couch. The words were already flowing out of his head before he had a new page open. Maybe it was an ode for the dead, or a celebration of life, he wasn’t sure. But this was what he did, what he could do, because knowing he’d forgot about someone’s life like that made him feel unworthy. He knew, on the inside, that the words were meant to be a comfort to the living, the dead didn’t need them, but it felt right. And nothing had felt right in a while.

 

By the time he’d come out of his writer’s trance, Hongbin had already started cooking dinner. He was already so used to Ravi slipping into lyricist mode that it hadn’t surprised him to hear the sudden quiet and occasional scratching of a pen. Something was smelling good and Ravi glanced over to his friend with a sad look in his eye. “Hongbin-ah?”

 

“Dinner won’t be done for another twenty minutes.” Hongbin answered without even looking, puttering around their tiny space to make sure everything was organized to his liking.

 

Ravi huffed out a short laugh, any other day and that response probably would have been spot on. “Bin-ah…” he knew what he wanted to say, but getting it out was a lot harder than he’d expected. “Promise me something?” That must have sounded strange because it finally got his roommate to turn around and look at him. “At my funeral, tell them about who I was okay? Who I really was, no matter what sort of name ‘Ravi’ gets, tell them about ‘Wonsik’ alright? Maybe say something nice? I don’t know.”

 

Hongbin’s face grew dark, lips twisting down into a frown and his eyebrows scrunching together. “That’s not funny, Wonsikie.” He wiped his hands on the kitchen towel before coming over to sit opposite of Ravi on the couch. “Don’t even talk like that. You’re not allowed to die, not on my watch. You’ll be old and bald and fat before it happens.” Hongbin pouted at him and Ravi was pretty sure that wasn’t playing fair.

 

“Fat?” Ravi reached over and poked at Hongbin’s belly but was only met with muscle, the bastard. “I’m not getting fat ever!” But the fact remained, he… he wanted to be remembered, and he wanted to have no regrets. “Still, if something does happen, and I’m not saying it will, but  _ if _ it does, you’d do that for me, wouldn’t you?”

 

“No.” He could feel his jaw hit the floor at the automatic and passive response. “I won’t. Because you’re not going to die. And when we’re ninety and still sitting on this same stupid couch, I’m going to reach over with my cane and hit you for even saying something like that. You can’t die, it’s that simple.” Ravi rolled his eyes, Hongbin was being ridiculous.

 

“Bin-ah,” his voice was sombre and he reached over to grab his friends hand before he could flee to the kitchen, “look at me.” He waited until his roommate’s near petulant glare was on him. “I’m serious. No one knows me like you, and I want… I need to know that I won’t be forgotten or tied up in a neat prepackaged image that isn’t me.” 

 

There were cracks starting to form in Hongbin’s eyes and he could see the annoyance falling away to sadness. “Okay,” his voice was soft, “I will. I won’t let anyone forget the real you ever. I’m only saying this once, now, so don’t talk to me about it again. I can’t live with thinking about not having you around. Wonsikie, you better not die. I mean it.”

 

His words tore something inside him, Ravi could feel it tearing, shifting, changing. Without thinking he tightened his hold on Hongbin’s hand when the other tried to get up and return to cooking. “Bin-ah.”

 

“I told you I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” Hongbin snapped and tried to tug his hand free.

 

“It’s not that,” the grip on Hongbin’s hand wouldn’t let go, “well, not entirely. Do you ever think about the things you’d regret if you died today?” The frown that Hongbin gave him was the only answer he received. “I don’t want to have a lot of regrets.”

 

“So, don’t.” Hongbin’s eyes darted from looking at him to the floor. “Live with no regrets for a very long time, Wonsikie. Just live okay, no dying allowed.”

 

“I won’t die.” Or he hoped not, “Bin-ah, just listen to me for a second okay? I love you.”


	22. Chapter 22

~ Hongbin’s POV ~

 

Don’t panic.

 

Hongbin’s brain raced leaping mental hurdles. It wasn’t that uncommon to say you loved someone, of course they loved each other, they were best friends, it couldn’t mean what he hoped it meant, right? But then why was there such a tingling crackle in the air? Was it just him? And why was Ravi being so earnest, the look he had in his eyes was of a depth that he usually kept hidden under a sleepy smile, the sombre tone that he kept in his voice. No, it wasn’t something so simple as a friendly reminder. His heart was aching, he was afraid to hope.

 

“Bin-ah,” the hand clutched around his wouldn’t let go, to be honest, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stand it if it did. Neither of them could lift their faces to look at the other, but Hongbin let himself be tugged back down to the couch, their connected hands and the dreaded middle cushion separating them. “You don’t need to say anything,” Ravi’s voice waivered, and Hongbin felt like any sudden movement could have the entire world cracking and falling to pieces around them. “But I needed you to know. Just… just in case I never had the chance to say it, okay? And it’s… it’s not just that I love you, I mean, I know you know I love you, you’re my best friend. I--” 

 

Something wet was on his face, he blinked once, twice, and realized they were tears. Was it real? But there was no mistaking the tone Ravi was using, or the way his hand squeezed just a little tighter to his own. With bated breath, he waited, hoped, he realized, finally letting himself dream for just a moment of the words that would come next. “I’m in love with you, I have been since high school. And I’ve always been too afraid to say it. So, there it is, but listen, don’t let it change anything between us, okay? I mean, don’t feel weird, it’s… really nothing’s changed I mean, I’ve always loved you and we were fine so we can still be fine--”

 

Was the world moving, or was he? His lips pressed against Ravi’s silencing him and he let himself just melt into it, arm reaching to circle behind his friends neck and chest pressed against his. The taste of salt (his tears?) on his lips but that didn’t matter because there was also the taste of the tea he knew Ravi habitually drank and it felt a little like coming home, warm and safe. Eyes sliding shut, he turned his hand to lace fingers with Ravi’s, smiling into the kiss, lips gliding against each other easily. It wasn’t hard at all, the way he’d imagined it would be, it was the easiest thing in the world.

 

Ravi’s arm circled around the back of his waist, holding him closer even while they pulled apart from their kiss. “Hongbinnie,” and the smile he gave him was the most beautiful sight Hongbin had ever seen, “you’re gonna break my heart if you don’t say something.”

 

“What? This,” Hongbin dipped his head again to press his mouth against Ravi’s briefly, “wasn’t enough to let you know?” But his heart was too full in his heart to leave it at that. God how could they both have been so stupid? Years, that was all he could think, for years they’d both been hiding, because they were stupid. It made him giggle until his face was buried in the crook of Ravi’s neck, grinning and laughing, shoulders shaking from the effort. “We’re so dumb,” his breath tickled against Ravi’s neck and he could feel his friend squirm under him, “So dumb. You idiot, I’ve loved you for so long.” He couldn’t hold back the wide grin on his face, his cheeks were starting to ache with it. “Even before we moved here, I loved you. I didn’t expect to and I didn’t want to burden you, but what could I have done without you? I’ve needed you all my life.”

 

Tear tracks ran down Ravi’s face and it made Hongbin feel better know he wasn’t the only one crying, resting his forehead against his friends, eyes wide open to watch the ones watching him. “Say it again, Wonsikie.” In a thousand years he wasn’t ever going to be tired of hearing it, of knowing it.

 

“No, you.” Ravi gave a watery laugh squeezing tight to Hongbin’s hand. “You tell me again. And you’re just as much of an idiot as I am! How come you never said anything? Not once. All those comments about you being the most handsome man I’d ever met in my life and you couldn’t once tell me you felt the same?”

 

Hongbin jerked back and smirked down at his friend, one brow raised high, “Because I thought that if handsome was enough you would have already been mine.” And hadn’t he spent so many nights thinking just that, thinking he was lacking somewhere that even being handsome wasn’t enough. “Plus, I did ask you out, to that musical, years ago.” It had taken all of his courage at the time and he’d all but scampered away with his tail tucked between his legs.

 

“That doesn’t count!” Ravi protested and tried to sit up but Hongbin pushed him back down, propped over him looking down. “I had a boyfriend at the time, and you told me you weren’t asking me out!”

 

“Only after you told me no! I had to make sure it didn’t ruin anything somehow, you dummy!” And sure maybe he shouldn’t have asked when he knew Ravi was dating someone but how often was he going to have tickets to a Jung Leo musical? The thought made him laugh again. Taekwoon was there a lot longer than either of them had expected. “Why didn’t you kiss me when I wanted you to? When I asked if you would when you weren’t drunk?”

 

“I thought you were talking about Taekwoon-ah!” The laughter was beginning to infect Ravi as well, his nose scrunching up with the grin splitting his face. “How come you didn’t catch on that I just wanted to sleep near you? I mean, come on, Bin-ah, that was pretty obvious, right?”

 

“Maybe to someone who hasn’t spent their whole life watching you attach yourself to whatever happens to be handy when you sleep!” The tears in his eyes turned from emotional to laugh lines. “How come you never tried asking me out once? I tried at least!” It wasn’t even about the reasons anymore, how had their tender moment devolved into another stupid fight of one upmanship?

 

The humor fell out of Ravi’s eyes though, and Hongbin immediately wished he could take the question back. “Because you’re too good for me, Bin-ah.” It was said so simply, so profoundly that Hongbin couldn’t even question if Ravi thought that was actually true. “I’ve never met anyone more perfect, how could I be good enough? And what do I do? Spend my time working two jobs and being a part time murder suspect.” Ravi’s head fell down to stare at his own chest.

 

“Yah,” Hongbin reached down and grabbed his roommate’s chin tipping his face back up, “do I not live here too? Do I not fret over the bills every month? Who’s perfect? Because it isn’t me! We’re in this together, this life, we always have been. And don’t ever think you’re not good enough, for anything not just me, nothing could be further from the truth. Stupid, you’re so amazing.” But really who was stupid? It must have been Hongbin, how could he never see this before? Never notice it? “Wait here.”

 

And he was up and diving for his camera bag. Ravi had never once failed him, in his entire life, Ravi had been a constant. That was what had started him on the slippery slope of falling in love, how could he not? Not good enough? His friend was the best of people, the best mankind had to offer, how could he show that to him?

 

Scanning through his images, he knew exactly which one he needed. Last Saturday, it was such a theme. Maybe he’d name his pictorial ‘Last Saturday’ if he ever got around to finishing it. The picture brought back so many emotions, the lighting had been long shadows cast by the morning sun, it had framed Ravi’s sitting hunched form in the shade, naked but for his boxers, lost in his own world of words and feelings as he wrote into his notebook. The look on his face was both heart breaking and inspiring. Hongbin had already named the piece ‘Portrait of a Dreamer’.

 

Sitting down next to Ravi, nearly in his lap, he faced the view screen toward his friend. “What do you see?”

 

“My creepy roommate took a picture of me nearly naked when I wasn’t looking.” Ravi replied with a whimper that could have been a laugh. “When did you even take this? I mean I don’t sit around in my underwear that often.” But he took a closer look as well, eyes narrowing. “Was this… you had time to take a picture that morning? Really? Even with Taekwoon hiding in our bedroom?”

 

“I see someone who never breaks.” Hongbin rolled over Ravi’s explanation. “I see the strongest person I know. Someone who takes all the worst life offers and turns it to his own strengths. I see someone who is beautiful. Someone who represents the best of all parts. I see someone I love.” He waited for a response, but Ravi only slumped his head onto Hongbin’s shoulder, fingers reaching out to touch the image on screen. “I love you, Wonsikie. Because you’re the best of all of us.”

 

“Bin-ah…” Ravi’s response was interrupted by a sudden beeping from the kitchen and Hongbin winced. Of course, dinner. “Heh, you better catch that, I don’t want burnt dinner.” But his voice sounded clogged with emotion that drowned out the joke, he turned his to press a soft kiss against Hongbin’s cheek.

 

A gentle glow warmed the spot where Ravi’s lips had touched him, it had Hongbin beaming down at his friend even as he said, “like that would stop you from eating it.” Still,  _ he _ didn’t want to have burnt dinner so it was back to the kitchen, somehow his steps felt lighter. Ravi accepted his love. Ravi loved him. It felt like a breath he’d been holding for seven years could finally be exhaled. “Set the table, will you?” A confession and things were still ever just the same.

 

It almost felt like any other dinner, their small coffee table was set, they had their same old mismatched dishes, the same sense of ease that had been with them for so many years. Everything was the same, but different, he didn’t know how else to explain it. Only this time, when their fingers bumped into each other reaching for the water pitcher they laughed and linked hands for a moment.

 

“What do we tell Taekwoon-ah?” Hongbin asked scooping up some bean sprouts. “Do you think it’ll be a problem? I mean, we are going to… date” the word sounded almost ridiculous when applied to himself and Ravi, “aren’t we?” He couldn’t imagine why it would be a problem though, considering Taekwoon had absolutely zero problems with dating both of them. Why would he have a problem with them dating both him and each other? Alternatively, he couldn’t imagine leaving what he’d found with the singer either. Maybe it didn’t make sense but he loved him too, had felt it blossom in his chest when he’d seen Taekwoon’s face had nearly crumbled thinking Hongbin believed him to be the murderer.

 

“I’m pretty sure he already knows,” Ravi said through a mouthful of food, “You didn’t see it cause you were passed out, that’s my job by the way, but he was so okay with the three of us piling into our bed, which was pretty cool, by the way. And,” Ravi paused to swallow, “he said something about me loving you, and I didn’t think about it much at the time. But I’m pretty sure he knows, well about me at least. I don’t know man, let’s just stick with the plan okay? I’m happy, you’re happy, Taekwoon-ah’s happy. Done deal.”

 

Could it really be so easy? Hongbin lifted one brow but didn’t comment. It was true, he had liked waking up with both of them, but didn’t it seem unfair to assume it for both of them? “Well we should still tell him, at least, right?”

 

“Yeah, absolutely,” Ravi nodded but then reached out a hand to brush a lock hair from Hongbin’s face before sliding down to cup his cheek. “You’ve got your worry face on.”

 

“That’s because you don’t have one.” Hongbin grouched but couldn’t hide the faint blush on his cheeks or the grin pulling at his lips.

 

~ Taekwoon’s POV ~

 

Somehow Takewoon found himself at their door. It was staring him right in the face and a part of him wasn’t exactly sure how he’d got there. A million reasons to turn around filtered through his head. It was far too late, he hadn’t called ahead or given any sort of notification, they might not even be home, he wasn’t sure what he was doing there. But none of them stopped his hand from going up to knock on their door.

 

A part of him, a part he wasn’t about to admit to, knew what he wanted. Comfort. The day had been taxing, more than he’d care to acknowledge. The funeral was a passing, but he’d been able to tolerate it, maybe he’d even found something useful. But something in him couldn’t deal with the wake Hakyeon and Jaehwan had been sure to drag him to afterward. If anything, that was more what a funeral should have been, it had been for the cast, but in remembrance rather than for show. There were no cameras watching them, no reporters watching.

 

And while watching all of them tell stories, laugh, cry, and make toasts only made it harder to imagine any of his co-workers as a murderer, that wasn’t what had him standing there in front of the door. The selfish portion of himself had started asking questions, questions he really didn’t want the answers to. What would someone say at his funeral? Who would attend? Would they cry? Would it just be his family? What about Wonsik? What about Hongbin? These thoughts plagued him all the way home, in the silence of his own home they kept him company, on the cab ride to their apartment they kept whispering in his ear.

 

He wasn’t sure how long he waited after he’d knocked, only vaguely aware that he’d done it from the sharp pain in his knuckles. A bed haired Hongbin opened the door, rubbing sleep from his eyes as he took in Taekwoon’s slumped shoulders and haunted eyes. “Taekwoon-ah?” his voice rumbled in his chest, “are you alright? Is everything okay?”

 

“No,” Taekwoon’s voice was so quiet, head shaking, “I missed both of you.” The admission felt like he was handing over a part of him that he wasn’t sure he’d be getting back, wasn’t sure he wanted back.

 

“Come inside,” Hongbin reached out for his hand, giving a small tug to draw him inside. “Do you want to talk about it?” But Taekwoon only shook his head. It was late and it was obvious that he’d woken him; he shouldn’t have been there but he couldn’t bring himself to leave. “I’ll get Ravi-yah,” and he turned to go to the bedroom but Taekwoon reached out to stop him.

 

“Can I stay here? I just want to sleep.”  _ With the two of you. Please just give me this comfort.  _ The words were in his throat but he didn’t know how to express them properly. Hongbin’s eyes softened and he nodded.

 

“You want to borrow a pair of Ravi-yah’s pajamas?” Taekwoon nodded, unsure of how to express his feelings. He just stood there, an island in the middle of their living space as Hongbin disappeared into the bedroom to return with a black tanktop and pair of red checked pajama pants.

 

Taekwoon was on automatic pilot as he went to their bathroom, not even caring that his own clothes fell to a crumpled heap on the ground as he changed. He’d find the effort to care in the morning. Drowsiness nipped at his heels as he returned back to the living room where Hongbin waited with a concerned look on his face. Something must have passed over Takewoon’s though because he didn’t say anything, only held out his hand for Taekwoon’s again.

 

The bedroom was dark, a lump on the bed that was most probably Wonsik was shifted onto one side, pillow wrapped in his grasp. Hongbin held up a hand to signify him to wait before wading onto the bed to tug the pillow from Wonsik’s arm. It would have been cute if he weren’t so tired. Wonsik gave a soft whine and pushed up slightly to glare at his roommate. “What are you do--...” He must have sense Taekwoon’s presence because he stopped and glanced around, “Taekwoon-ah?”

 

“We’re going to sleep, Wonsikie,” Hongbin tried to explain quietly, gesturing for Taekwoon to join them. “Taekwoon-ah just wanted a place to rest, okay?” A look must have passed between them because Wonsik dropped it, merely sent a sleepy smile to Taekwoon and patted the spot next to him. 

 

It should have been ridiculous, he should have felt ridiculous, crawling under the sheets to lie down between them, but he didn’t. Within moments Wonsik was wrapped around him, shameless in his affection. The familiar touch of his hand over his chest, that soft blue hair buried against his neck, nose nuzzling in, and a leg casually thrown over one of Taekwoon’s, effectively trapping him. Lips grazed his throat in a gentle kiss before Wonsik simple breathed in the scent of his skin. “Missed  you,” the low voice mumbled before he could tell the other man was falling back into sleep’s grasp.

 

On his other side Hongbin was still propped up on his side watching, a soft smile across his face with only the barest hint of dimple showing. “I missed you too. You don’t have to talk about whatever it is on your mind, but you know we’re here for you right?” But Hongbin didn’t wait for an answer before lying down next to him, letting an arm curl around Taekwoon’s waist, forehead pressed to his shoulder.

 

Taekwoon’s eyes slid shut, sleep creeping up on him, with a soft blossoming warmth spreading through his chest. The questions, if they were still there, were muffled enough to allow him rest.


	23. Chapter 23

~ Ravi’s POV ~

 

It was strange, the way that life ambled along its trusty path, no mind of the wicked or the wary. Nothing was going to stop the sun from rising, the same way there was no way to make time slow down or stop. Something felt like it should have been different. A weight on his shoulders since fucking puberty had been lifted, the least life could do was give him a kazoo or some confetti or something. But no, morning came without preamble, the same as it always did. Life didn’t care that Hongbin loved him, but that was okay, he did, that’s what mattered.

 

Ravi’s mind woke in stages, a brief awareness of being, warm, soft, the scent of skin. Then came denial, a mental and, at times, physical attempt to wander back into the land of dreams, this step was successful about one half of the time. The third step was often split into two categories. One, he was late (because of course he was late) and it became a rapid fire ignition of willpower to outrun the clock somehow. Or two, the slow pull of wakefulness to a new day, whatever that brought, dragged his groggy conscious to the forefront.

 

That morning he was on step 3.2, the haze of sleep was slowly clearing out, grumpily mumbling that it’d be back later. He nestled closer to the person next to him, vaguely becoming aware that it was not Hongbin shaped, the scent was different, sharp and crisp compared to Hongbin’s more earthy scent. “I was wondering when you’d wake up.” the soft voice of Taekwoon cut through his ponderings and had his eyes popping open. Sure enough, there he was, head propped up against one hand, glancing down at him with those wonderful feline eyes as Ravi had been steadily cuddling into him.

 

When the fuck had Taekwoon shown up?

 

“Was I drunk last night?” Ravi asked, somewhat hesitantly, eyebrows quirked. Not that he minded in the least waking up next to Taekwoon. It was really nice actually, something he could get used to in fact, but he was normally a lot more aware of who he went to sleep with and when. He couldn’t remember drinking at all, rather he and Hongbin had spent the evening figuring out what the most comfortable way to sit on the couch was while also taking up as much of the same space as possible. It was actually a lot less flirty than either of them had expected. By the end of it they’d been a mess of tangled limbs half on and half off the couch yelling and laughing at each other for being the who who’d shoved them off their perch. But no alcohol had been involved, despite the sound of it.

 

Taekwoon merely leaned down and pressed a kiss against his scrunched up forehead. “No, but it was late and you were only awake for thirty seconds.” Ravi lifted a brow at that but got no more in explanation from the other man except a hand running through his hair and a cheek laid on top of his head. Hongbin would know when and how Taekwoon had shown, but Ravi was pretty sure that his roommate had left for work already.

 

“How long have you been up?” As he recalled from their one night, Taekwoon tended toward the morning person side rather than the sprawl around in bed for hours after respectable people got up side. Still, he made no motion to extract himself from being curled around the other man, he was comfortable dammit.

 

A glance at the wall read out had Taekwoon almost wincing, “Two and a half hours,” he admitted looking almost sheepish. Something told Ravi that lazy mornings weren’t part of the regular rotation for the singer, which was a shame. “Hongbin-ah woke to go to work and I’ve been up since then.” That thought had to run through his head for a minute, Taekwoon woke when Hongbin woke, which meant that Hongbin had also been there in bed. And that he could recal, going to bed with Hongbin, soft kisses and stupid giggles. “You really don’t remember? He kissed you before he left and you nearly fell off the side of the bed when you tried to drag him closer.”

 

Intrigued, Ravi pulled back just slightly so he could prop his chin on Taekwoon’s shoulder. “That doesn’t bother you, does it?”

 

“Why would it?” Taekwoon shrugged and nearly displaced Ravi’s perch. “You’re not going to stop seeing me now, are you?” Sitting up, covers pooling around his waist, Ravi tried to gauge the other man’s feelings. “You didn’t object that I was seeing both of you, so I assumed that…” Something akin to worry crossed Taekwoon’s face, eyes staring at the comforter, lips forming into a thin line. “Maybe I shouldn’t have assumed.”

 

“No, no,” quick to put him at ease, Ravi scooted closer to bump his shoulder against Taekwoon’s. “How am I going to stop seeing you? Are you kidding me? I spent six months trying to get your name, never mind your freaking phone number.” A smile broke out on his face at the memory of it. “Let you go? I don’t think so, you’re staying just where you are, right where I can find you.” And it did his heart good to see the small smile spread across Taekwoon’s face, a small sign of relief. “And Hongbinnie feels the same, okay? So, don’t you think about breaking his heart, you hear me?” Mock menace tinted his voice before he leaned over and kissed the other man, grinning into his lips.

 

He nearly purred when he felt those clever fingers slide through his hair, sweeping through to cup the back of his neck and massage it. Taking his time, Taekwoon’s tongue ran over his lip before slipping into his mouth. Slowly, almost lazily, they let themselves fall into the embrace, little nips and licks that had a pleasant sort of haze falling over them. Ravi’s hand glided down the inside Taekwoon’s arm before sliding up to cup the other man’s face, thumb brushing against his cheek.

 

A chiming sounded from the foot of the bed, a ring tone unfamiliar to Ravi, not that he had much time to think about it with Taekwoon’s teeth sinking into his lower lip. His soft groan spurred on the other man who gave a gentle tug against the flesh before swiping his tongue over it. Those perfect lips sealed around it before pulling back with a gentle suck that had Ravi’s own lip turning swollen. 

 

The chime toned again and Ravi saw as the other man’s eyes turned cross, annoyance showing in the dip in his brow. “Need to get that?” Ravi was desperately hoping he replied in the negative. The small shake of Taekwoon’s head was all he needed to dive back in, lips cruising over the singer’s jawline.

 

A frustrated groan bubbled out of Taekwoon’s throat as the phone chimed again insistently. It would have been funny if Ravi didn’t think he’d get a pillow to the face for laughing. Instead he pressed another kiss to the corner of Taekwoon’s jaw and pulled back. “Want me to grab your phone?” They both knew that it wasn’t going to stop, but the death glare in Taekwoon’s eyes gave him pause. Until the phone chimed again and Ravi couldn’t hold back the laughter anymore.

 

With a near snarl, Taekwoon swung his legs off the bed and stood, stretching his long form and Ravi finally realized that those were  _ his _ pajama pants. A pleased grin spread across his face, quite okay with the idea of Taekwoon wearing his stuff. The man stalked around the edge of the bed to grab at something on the ground, coming up with his hand phone and an even more annoyed glare.

 

But the annoyance quickly fell from his face, his eyes going wide and skin turning almost ahsen. Worry immediately seated itself in Ravi’s gut and he crawled across the mattress to sit at the foot of the bed. “What is it?” a touch of panic painted his voice, “What’s wrong?”

 

Wordlessly, Taekwoon turned his phone toward him, the glaze of shock spread in his eyes. On the screen was a series of messages from someone named Lee Jaehwan.

 

**_Hyung! Are you there?? I need to talk to you!!!!!!!_ **

 

And then another.

 

**_Can I come over to your place? Are you home?????_ **

 

And another.

 

**_Do you have someone there? Kekeke… No, sorry it’s not funny, this is really important! Can we meet????? PLEASE??_ **

 

And one last one that had the blood draining from Ravi’s face.

 

**_I did it, hyung. It was me._ **


End file.
